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Airman with handgun barricaded in building at Colorado Air Force base


SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. —

An airman armed with a pistol barricaded himself in a building at an Air Force base in Colorado that controls all GPS satellites, but operations haven’t been disrupted, officials said Monday.

The building was evacuated, and no shots were fired and no one was injured, said Schriever Air Force Base spokeswoman Jennifer Thibault.

A negotiator and a SWAT team from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department were on scene at the Air Force’s request, said Air Force Lt. Marie Denson.
Thibault said the airman is a member of a security squadron and is armed with his own handgun. Officials were investigating how he got the weapon past security and onto the base.

The airman is in a building where personnel prepare for deployments, Thibault said.

Control rooms for GPS and other military satellites are in a separate, heavily protected inner compound surrounded by fences and staffed with armed guards.
The gunman faces a discharge over a matter in civilian court, but no other details were available, Denson said. He is still classified as being on active duty, she said.

The airman’s name, rank and service history weren’t immediately released.
The base about 60 miles south of Denver controls more than 60 military satellites.