Navy Yard Gunman Dead, Two 'Potential' Shooters Sought

A gunman who terrorized the Navy Sea Systems Command headquarters building in Washington, D.C., was shot and killed after carrying out a shooting spree that left at least four others dead, and police are searching for two additional men who are considered "potential" shooters, according to officials. 

The slain shooter is described as a former Navy official in his fifties whose work status was recently changed. His name has not been released. 

One of the wounded was a law enforcement officer who was shot in an exchange with the gunman.

"The big concern for us right now is we potentially have two additional shooters," Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier said.

She said the other two men being sought were wearing military uniforms.

"There is no information to believe they are military personnel, but they are wearing military uniforms," Lanier said.

The chief said one possible suspect was white in a khaki uniform, wearing a beret and carrying a handgun, and the other was described as black man in his 50s wearing an olive drab uniform and carrying a long gun.

Mayor Vincent Gray said authorities were aware of four people wounded, but was uncertain of the number of fatalities. At least four fatalities have been confirmed so far. 

President Obama said he has been briefed on the situation and spoke about the shooting at the beginning of a news conference. 

"We are confronting yet another mass shooting, and today it happened on a military installation in our nation's capital," he said. 

Obama said he wanted a "seamless" investigation into the shooting and is standing with the victims and their families affected by what he called a "cowardly act." 

"It targeted our military and civilian personnel, men and women who were going to work, doing their job protecting all of us. They are patriots and they know the dangers of serving abroad," Obama said. "But today they faced the unimaginable violence that they won't have expected here at home."

Two law enforcement officers were among the injured when the suspect fired shots inside the 3,000-person building at 8:20 a.m. Law enforcement officials initially told personnel to evacuate the building but they were later told to shelter in place. 

Multiple reports cited the possibility of a second shooter, however, it has not been confirmed.

A spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sent a team of special agents to help secure the scene. This is the same team that helped apprehend Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, according to the spokesman. 

Three gunshot victims were taken to Washington Medical Center with "severe injuries," according to Janis Orlowski, chief medical officer at the hospital. 

The victims were described as a male Metropolitan police officer who had "multiple gunshot wounds to his legs," a woman who was shot in the head and the hand and another woman who was shot in the shoulder. 

Orlowski said all three are in critical condition, however they are conscious and are expected to survive.

She said the hospital is expecting to receive more victims, but she was not sure how many. 

Patricia Ward, a logistics management specialist at the Navy Yard, said she heard a series of shots, at least seven, in rapid succession.

"A few of us just ran outside the side exit," Ward said.