Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Navy Civilian Charged in Hoax That Triggered Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Lockdown

Prosecutors say the employee admitted fabricating a gunfire text to create a “trauma bond” with coworkers.

Overview

  • Federal prosecutors charged Malika Brittingham, a Navy civilian assigned to the base, with conveying false information about firearms at a federal facility.
  • According to a criminal complaint, she texted around 10:15 a.m. that she heard five to six shots and was hiding, prompting calls to the Base Defense Operations Center and 911 and triggering the alert.
  • The base ordered a shelter-in-place late Tuesday morning and issued an all-clear roughly an hour later after security checks found no credible threat.
  • Officials reported no injuries or evidence of an external breach, and after-action reviews of communications and training notifications are underway.
  • A senior law-enforcement official told local media that sounds tied to a training exercise likely prompted some reports, and nearby schools briefly locked down before reopening.