A shelter-in-place order was reportedly issued for Peterson Space Force Base on Thursday amid reports of a person threatening to carry out a shooting there. A message from the base in Colorado Springs was shared on Facebook.
“SHELTER IN PLACE has been directed for Peterson SFB due to a potential threat to the installation and all gates have been closed. All personnel report to a designated basement or ground floor Shelter-in-Place location,” the message read.
SFB hosts Space Base Delta 1, NORAD, U.S. Northern Command, and U.S. Space Command. It is critical for space operations and missile warning. The threat at the base comes amid the Iran war where the US along with Israel took out Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Since then, local law enforcement has been on the lookout for a possible attack on domestic soil. There has also been an uptick of reports on incidents reported across bases. However, there's nothing yet to indicate that the Peterson incident is tied in any way to broader geopolitical tensions.
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{{/usCountry}}A possible reason for today's shelter in place order was shared on the Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page. The post read “someone decided to make death threats on the Peterson SFB dorm discord.” It shares a text excerpt from a person who says ‘Imma shoot up the base’.
SFB is yet to comment on the matter. KKTV reported that the Colorado Springs Police Department had confirmed the news of the lockdown to them, but no official statement has come forth in the matter.
Peterson Space Force Base lockdown reactions
Several people reacted to the news of the shelter in place order issued for Peterson Space Force Base.
Many wondered about the possible reason for the lockdown. “Guessing tornado?” one person remarked. Another added “there is a wildfire near FT Carson, but tha is getting under control.” To this, a person clarified that there was no storms in the area at the time. Another explained “someone on discord threatened the base.”
On the group where the alleged threat message to shoot up the SFB dorm was posted, people expressed their opinions as well. “A high quality individual…,” one person said sarcastically, Another added “Anyone who talks like that, does not know how to shoot…”. Yet another person quipped “Smooth move.”
The news of the Peterson Space Force Base comes after siblings were indicted following a bomb threat to the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Alen Zheng and Ann Mary Zheng have been indicted in the matter, but the former is believed to be in China and could not be arrested as a result.