Gunman opens fire at Navy Yard in Washington; several wounded, officials say

By Jim Miklaszewski and Erin McClam, NBC News

A gunman opened fire Monday at a Navy facility in Washington, D.C., and wounded several people, Navy officials said.

Naval officials said that the gunman was on the loose. The Navy said on its Twitter feed that three shots were fired at 8:20 a.m. ET at the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command, part of the Washington Navy Yard. About 3,000 people work in the building, the Navy said. They were ordered to stay in place.

Security forces entered the building and were hunting for the gunman. WRC, the NBC affiliate in Washington, reported that the shooter had a rifle.

U.S. Capitol Police said they were stepping up security on the Capitol grounds.

The Naval Sea Systems Command builds, buys and maintains ships and submarines and their combat systems.

The Navy Yard is along the Anacostia River in Washington, near the headquarters of the Department of Transportation and the Washington Nationals baseball stadium.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

This story was originally published on Mon Sep 16, 2013 8:49 AM EDT