Army base under lockdown after man with handgun gets into scuffle

HONOLULU — An Army base in Hawai‘i went into lockdown Thursday after a man with a handgun got into a scuffle while trying to talk to soldiers and then fled, officials said.

No shots were fired, said Michael Donnelly, a spokesperson for U.S. Army Garrison Hawai‘i, but the Army was treating it as an “active shooter situation.”

“We are trying to locate the individual,” Donnelly added.

People at Schofield Barracks were told to shelter in place, but the gates were open, according to Donnelly. Neighboring Wheeler Army Airfield also went into lockdown.

So did two public schools on Schofield, Daniel K. Inouye Elementary and Solomon Elementary. The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m., as children were leaving for the day, and staff, students and parents were secured indoors.

The man was last seen near the commissary on a bike.

He was “trying to allegedly talk with soldiers,” Donnelly said. “I don’t know if he was bartering or selling stuff, but someone confronted him, and they got into a scuffle. There was a handgun witnessed, visible.”

Schofield Barracks is on O‘ahu, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Honolulu. It hosts the 25th Infantry Division and the 8th Theater Sustainment Command.

Wheeler Army Airfield, just next door, is home to the Hawaii Air National Guard and the headquarters for U.S. Army Garrison Hawai‘i.

About 60,000 people are on Schofield, including soldiers, civilians, workers, contractors and families. Combined with Wheeler, the population is over 90,000.