Man dies in shooting at Pentagon metro station

Friday, 5 March 2010 12:53
A man has died from wounds he sustained after shooting two security officers at a commuter rail station at the Pentagon near Washington DC.

The gunman, identified as 36-year-old John Patrick Bedell of California, was apparently trying to gain entry to the US Department of Defence headquarters.

Pentagon officials said in a statement that the security officers' wounds did not appear to be life-threatening.

'He walked up very cool,' Pentagon police chief Richard Keevill said. 'He had no real emotion on his face.'

Several reports earlier said that the gunman died of wounds sustained in the shootout at the Pentagon entrance.

Instead of presenting a Pentagon pass, which is required to enter the building, the man pulled out a gun, Mr Keevill said. Three Pentagon security officers exchanged fire with the suspect, and two were wounded.

The underground Metro station is adjacent to the main entrance of the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington.

People can approach the Pentagon unimpeded from the Metro station.


All entrances to the five-sided building were closed after the shooting at 6.40pm local time during the evening rush hour. The entrances were later reopened, except the one adjacent to the Metro station.

The man is a loony