TIMELINE: How the chaotic active shooter response unfolded at Wright-Patt

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Poor organization and communication at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base led to the false report of an active shooter at the base hospital, a report found.

A report about the false active shooter incident on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base detailed how an uncoordinated response from law enforcement could have resulted in “serious injury and property damage.” The incident terrified staff and civilians in a hospital filled with “fog and friction.”

A month before the incident took place, base officials prepped for quarterly exercises on July 5. The week of exercises started on July 30.

» QUICK READ: 5 key facts we learned from Wright-Patt active shooter report

The Dayton Daily News has constructed a timeline that illustrates what occurred on Aug. 2 when law enforcement responded to a falsely reported active shooter at the Wright-Patt Medical Center.

• 11:51 a.m.: An active shooter exercise was planned and executed by the base inspector general at the Kittyhawk Chapel. Multiple role players simulated causalities during the exercise, according to the report. The exercise started at 11:51 a.m. The Air Force requires installations to hold an active shooter exercise twice a year.

The base exercise continues without issue.

» MORE ON THE REPORT: Wright-Patt active shooter report shows response could have led to 'serious injury'

• 12:27 p.m.: An 88th Medical Group employee called 9-1-1 after receiving a call from another medical employee, who was screaming and crying due to an injury received while running on base. That jogger was located and brought to the emergency room. At the same time, first responders were present at the active shooter exercise at the Kittyhawk Chapel.

"This was the beginning of the bleed over from exercise to real-world events," the report said. 

12:38 p.m.: The Base Defense Operations Center received a call from the medical facility about an active shooter. Hospital staff issued a duress code over the intercom, alerting workers that there was an active shooter in the facility.

12:39 p.m.: The hospital was put on lockdown for a real-world active shooter situation. The lockdown was initiated, and this led to on-base law enforcement responding to the hospital for what they believed was now an actual active shooter.

12:40 p.m.: The 88th Security Forces Squadron arrived and made entry into the hospital.

• 12:41 p.m.: A hospital employee in the Red Clinic called 9-1-1 from a cell phone, which sent the call off base.

• 12:46 p.m.: Wright-Patt fire dispatch was notified of three shots fired in the hospital's Red Clinic. Six minutes later, fire dispatch reported the three to five shots appeared to have been fired by Wright-Patt 88th Security Forces member. When responding, that Security Forces member fired rounds from an M4 through the window of a locked door.

• 12:52 p.m.: Dayton SWAT arrived at Gate 1A and regional dispatch initiates a citywide "Code 99," or an officer in distress call among civilian law enforcement agencies.

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base on Thursday, Aug. 2, after a reported active shooter situation that was later determined to be not credible. MARSHALL GORBY / STAFF

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• 12:54 p.m.: Then, a broader call for help was sent to mutual aid responders from: the Dayton region, the state and national agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

• 12:58 p.m.: Base officials reported that three shell casings in the Red Clinic are from a Air Force Security Forces Squadron member who discharged their weapon. It was later confirmed to be five shell casings. A victim was not found.

• 1 p.m.:  An individual locked in a room in the Red Clinic called 9-1-1, and told the operator that they were unaware if an active shooter was in the area.

• 1:05 p.m.: Law enforcement was briefed about the situation, and Dayton Police advised all responding law enforcement personnel to cancel their response to the base.

» WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: What the US Air Force says to do during active shooter situations

• 1:09 p.m.: However, two Dayton Police officers and two Security Force Squadron members were already clearing the second floor and reported multiple gunshots in the stairwell. Approximately 50 responders from various law enforcement agencies broke through the locked door of the hospital and entered with weapons drawn, the report stated.

• 1:39 p.m.: Responders started to clear the building, and even more confusion occurred. After a team entered a room and determined it was safe, they announced "clear" to indicate to other responders that the room was sweeped. Hospital employees hiding in adjacent rooms thought it was safe to come out, but were instead met by responders with drawn weapons who were still sweeping the building.

• 2:36 p.m.: Base officials released all mutual aid responders and law enforcement.

• 2:46 p.m.: An all-clear signal was issued to the base.

• 3:20 p.m.: A secondary sweep was conducted with no additional findings.

• 4:00 p.m.: All exercise activities scheduled for the rest of the week were canceled.

Were you present during the active shooter false alarm at Wright Patterson? We want to hear your story. Contact reporter Kara Driscoll at 937-225-0551 or kara.driscoll@coxinc.com.

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