McGhee Tyson air base lockdown is over. Officials say report of armed person was a misunderstanding

A lockdown that drew a heavy police presence to Tennessee's McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base on Wednesday afternoon ended after authorities determined a report of a suspicious person who appeared to be armed was just a misunderstanding.

No shots were fired, and no one was hurt.

Around 11:15 a.m., a student reported seeing a suspicious person with what looked like a rifle. But officials who searched the base and re-interviewed the student concluded "they didn't see what they thought they saw," Lt. Col. Travers Hurst, a spokesman at the airbase, told the Associated Press. "Everyone is safe."

The student's report prompted a lockdown that lasted more than three hours.

A slew of law enforcement officers from at least five agencies swarmed the base, which is home to the 134th Air Refueling Wing and the 119th Command and Control Squadron. The base is located about 10 miles south of downtown Knoxville, near Alcoa in Blount County. It shares the McGhee Tyson name with the commercial airport, but their operations take place in separate facilities.

Commercial flights into and out of McGhee Tyson Airport were not disrupted, an airport spokeswoman said. Multiple planes could be seen taking off during the lockdown.

Authorities brought in armored vehicles and conducted a methodical, building-to-building search of the base. Outside, officers blocked an access road and allowed only police to go in and out as helicopters whizzed by overheard. Chief Master Sgt. Shaun Withers spoke to reporters and stressed that airbase personnel are trained for such situations.

"Lockdown, lockdown, lockdown means barricade, lock doors, close windows, shut off lights, turn off your cell phones," Withers said, referencing an announcement that could be heard coming over loudspeakers at the base. "In an exercise or in a real-world situation, if you are in an active shooter situation you don't want to alert that shooter to where you're at."

Withers, who is assigned to the I.G. Brown ANG Training and Education Center on the base, added that all of the center's students and instructors were accounted for. The center provides continuing professional training for Air National Guard personnel.

In addition to the 134th, the Tennessee Air National Guard's 119th Cyber Operations Squadron also is based at McGhee Tyson, along with elements of the Army National Guard's 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion.

All told, more than 1,000 personnel among the various units are stationed there, according to CW4 Nick Atwood, Tennessee National Guard public affairs officer.

Officers from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, the Knox County Sheriff's Office, the Knoxville Police Department and the Alcoa Police Department responded to the scene.

There has been heightened concern about gun violence on military bases after shootings at military installations in Florida and Hawaii killed five people in December.