2 NSA Suspects Released, 3rd Transferred To Howard County

FORT MEADE, MD — Two people previously in custody after officers fired at suspected gate-crashers at the National Security Agency have been released, federal authorities said. Names of the two were not released, while a third person was turned over to the Howard County Sheriff's office on a warrant. The three were reportedly in an SUV drove up to an NSA gate Wednesday, then tried to leave Fort George G. Meade, home to the NSA and other cyber operations.

The vehicle tried to drive into the secure campus without authorization, according to a statement from the NSA. FBI officials described the vehicle as a rental that ended up at the gate, crashed through it, and then tried to leave, prompting NSA police to fire their duty weapons. In the process, one person in the SUV, a police officer and a bystander were injured, none seriously, said an FBI spokesman.

On Thursday the FBI said it had released two people from custody, while Javonte Alhajie Brown, 24, of Washington, was turned over to the Howard County Sheriff’s Office on an active warrant for unpaid child support, the Baltimore Sun reports.

What led the SUV onto the NSA compound is still being looked at. Federal authorities say they have no reason to believe the incident is tied to terrorism.

TV images showed the SUV with apparent gunshot damage, along with a man in handcuffs seated nearby. Several people were taken from the scene to area hospitals, but officials said that preliminary information indicated there were no injuries attributed to gunfire. The FBI is leading the investigation into the incident.

Fort Meade garrison spokeswoman Cheryl Phillips told the Associated Press that one person was injured in the incident outside the base.

WRC TV said bullet holes could be seen in the SUV's front window, and several air bags were deployed. Blood-stained material could be seen on the ground. No updates have been given on the extent of those injured.

Terrorism was not suspected in the confrontation at the site of the intelligence-gathering agency.
The driver was not targeting the base, and appeared to have crashed into the gate and then made an attempt to get away, according to WTOP.

In March 2015, one person died in a shootout at the NSA gates. Friends said Ricky Shawatza Hall of Baltimore, who identified as a woman, went by the name Mya, and had a criminal record for prostitution and robbery may have panicked when making a wrong turn into the NSA entrance while driving a stolen vehicle. Hall died at the entrance to the NSA campus after a shootout with guards, according to the FBI.

Hall drove a stolen Ford SUV to the NSA gate and "failed to obey an NSA Police officer's routine instructions for safely exiting the secure campus," the FBI said in a statement. Instead, the SUV accelerated toward an NSA police vehicle, officers fired and Hall was pronounced dead at the scene, the FBI said. A passenger and an NSA officer were injured in the fracas.

Hall may have taken the exit for the NSA by mistake while driving on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway/MD 295, which happens "all the time" to those who don't travel that way often and misread the brown sign, according to The Capital. Before turning around, drivers must proceed to the heavily guarded security checkpoint.

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(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File Photo of NSA entrance)