Officer Dead, Suspect Killed in Stabbing outside Pentagon (Video)

Omnia Ahmed

A Pentagon police officer died in a violent stabbing attack, on Tuesday, at a transit center outside the building, and a suspect was shot by law enforcement and died at the scene.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_NBHCKLy9Y[/embed]

The Pentagon, headquarters of the U.S. military, was temporarily placed on lockdown after a man attacked the officer on a bus platform shortly after 10:30 a.m.

Woodrow Kusse, the chief of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, said the ensuing violence, which included a volley of gunshots, resulted in “several casualties.”

“The Pentagon Metro Station is probably one of the busiest in the transportation system. It is a hub for commuters as well as building occupants,” Kusse said at the press conference.

The deaths of the officer and the suspect were first confirmed by officials who spoke to the Associated Press. Moreover, the Fairfax County Police Department tweeted condolences about the officer's death.

[embed]https://twitter.com/FairfaxCountyPD/status/1422633545571393540?s=08[/embed]

The suspect was identified by multiple law enforcement officials as Austin William Lanz, 27, of Georgia.

The officer was ambushed by Lanz, who ran at him and stabbed him in the neck, according to two of the law enforcement officials. Accordingly, the officers shot and killed Lanz.

Lanz had enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in October 2012 but was “administratively separated” less than a month later and never earned the title Marine, the Corps noted in a statement.

Stabbing Attack outside Pentagon

The FBI is leading an investigation into the incident, as the motivations behind it are still unknown. However, it has not provided any further details.

“At this time, it would be premature to speculate on motive, and in order to protect the integrity of the investigation we cannot provide additional details at this time,” the FBI Washington Field Office said in a statement. “There is no ongoing threat to the public.”

At the time of the shooting, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were at the White House for a meeting with President Joe Biden.