The suspect reportedly drove towards the spy agency’s main gate and ignored orders to stop
A shooting unfolded outside the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters near Washington, DC on Thursday, according to multiple US media reports. The suspect, a young woman, was wounded by security guards and taken into custody.
The incident reportedly happened at around 4am, when security spotted a vehicle driving towards the main gate of the spy agency’s campus. The woman driving reportedly failed to stop when ordered and was shot, sustaining “nonfatal” injuries before she was arrested. Some media reports said the woman crashed a vehicle into the gate.
The CIA acknowledged a “security incident” at its compound and directed its employees to use alternate entrances but provided no detail on the nature of the situation.
“The front gate at Headquarters is closed until further notice. Please use alternate routes for Thursday, May 22nd,” the agency said in a statement. It has provided no further updates so far, and the gate closure order apparently remains effective.
The woman involved has been preliminarily identified as 27-year-old Monia Spadaro, NBC News reported, citing two senior law enforcement officials. The suspect is known to police and has at least one conviction for driving under the influence.
It was not immediately known whether the woman was intoxicated at the time.
Back in March, a person was arrested after allegedly making threats and pointing a gun outside the gate of CIA headquarters.
It prompted a massive emergency response, with numerous law enforcement officers responding to the scene, including agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Fairfax County Police Bomb Squad. The standoff was ultimately defused peacefully however, and the suspect was taken into custody with no shots fired.
