A Pentagon police officer died after being stabbed during a burst of violence at a transit center outside the building, officials confirmed Tuesday evening.

Officials identified the officer as George Gonzalez, a Brooklyn native who joined the Pentagon Force Protection Agency in 2018

What You Need To Know

  • A lockdown has been lifted at the Pentagon after an altercation forced the facility to close for security precautions

  • A number of gunshots were fired between an officer and an unknown assailant on Tuesday morning

  • Officials confirmed Tuesday evening that a police officer was killed during the altercation

  • Officials identified the officer as George Gonzalez, a Brooklyn native who joined the Pentagon Force Protection Agency in 2018

Gonzalez, who was promoted to the rank of Senior Officer in 2020, was described as "a gregarious officer" and took the agency's mission of "protecting those who protect our nation" to heart.

Gonzalez was an army veteran who was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his service in Iraq. He also previously served with the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

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

The deaths of the officer and the suspect were confirmed by officials. The Fairfax County Police Department also tweeted condolences about the officer’s death.

The suspect was identified by multiple law enforcement officials as 27-year-old Austin William Lanz 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. Responding officers then shot and killed Lanz. Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the attack and were digging into Lanz’s background, including any potential history of mental illness or any reason he might want to target the Pentagon or police officers.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered flags be flown at half-mast at the Pentagon complex in honor of the unnamed officer, writing in part: "This fallen officer died in the line of duty, helping protect the tens of thousands of people who work in – and who visit – the Pentagon on a daily basis."

"He and his fellow officers are members of the Pentagon family, and known to us all as professional, skilled and brave," Austin added. "This tragic death today is a stark reminder of the dangers they face and the sacrifices they make."

At least three people were hospitalized in connection with the incident, according to Arlington EMS. The Arlington County Fire Department reported “multiple patients,” but it wasn’t immediately clear if they had been shot or the extent of the injuries.

In a briefing on Tuesday afternoon, chief of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency Woodrow Kusse would not confirm the amount or extent of the injuries sustained during the altercation, saying only there were "several injuries." Kusse would similarly neither confirm nor deny reports that both an officer and a suspect died following the altercation. 

"This morning at about 10:37 am a Pentagon police officer was attacked on the metro bus platform. Gunfire was exchanged and there were several casualties," Kusse said, later clarifying he meant several injuries, not deaths. "The incident is over. The scene is secure."

Kusse added that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading an investigation into the incident, and they do not believe there is another suspect on the loose at this time. He said experts were working the scene to clear up some "erroneous reports" that gained traction in the chaotic moments following the exchange of gunfire.

The FBI issued a similar statement, confirming only that it was investigating and that there was “no ongoing threat to the public” but declining to offer details or a possible motive.

The incident occurred on a Metro bus platform that is part of the Pentagon Transit Center, the Pentagon Protection Force Protection Agency tweeted.

The facility is just steps from the Pentagon building, which is in Arlington County, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

A Pentagon announcement said the facility was on lockdown due to “police activity.”

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 said in a statement.

Lanz was arrested in April in Cobb County, Georgia, on criminal trespassing and burglary charges, according to online court records. The same day, a separate criminal case was filed against Lanz with six additional charges, including two counts of aggravated battery on police, a count of making a terrorist threat and a charge for rioting in a penal institution, the records show.

A judge reduced his bond in May to $30,000 and released him, imposing some conditions, including that he not ingest illegal drugs and that he undergo a mental health evaluation. The charges against him were still listed as pending. A spokesman for the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Lanz had been previously held at the agency’s detention center but referred all other questions to the FBI’s field office in Washington.

An attorney who represented Lanz in the Georgia cases didn’t immediately respond to a phone message and email seeking comment, and messages left with family members at Lanz’s home in the Atlanta suburb of Acworth, Georgia, were not immediately returned.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.