Naval Base Point Loma was ordered to shelter-in-place Tuesday afternoon after a suspicious person was reportedly seen on base, officials confirmed.
Media Relations Officer Navy Region Southwest Brian O’Rourke told NBC 7 there were “reports of a suspicious person on base with suspicious behavior” at around 2 p.m. at the base located at 140 Sylvester Rd., south of Shelter Island.
A tweet posted by Naval Base Point Loma to Twitter around 2:30 p.m. said the suspicious person was spotted with "a long object wrapped in a blanket near Sub Base Barracks (BLDG 635)."
Just before 3 p.m., O’Rourke said the entire base was “sheltering in place,” including the on-site daycare facility and hotels. He said the building and area where the suspicious person had reportedly been seen is far from the gate leading into the naval base.
The shelter-in-place boundaries were soon reduced to South of the North Pier and east of Rosecrans, including Barracks Building 635.
By 3:20 p.m., Naval Base Point Loma officials said the shelter-in-place order had been lifted and all areas of the base could resume their normal operations.
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O'Rourke later said the report of a suspicious person on base had been a misunderstanding. He said the reporting party thought they saw someone carrying a weapon but the object turned out to be a ceremonial rifle.
According to the Navy, Naval Base Point Loma provides support to 70 U.S. Pacific Fleet afloat and shore-based tenant commands headquartered on the base. Six ships are currently stationed there.
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