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Gunman Situation At Schriever Air Force Base Ends Peacefully

SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (CBS4) - A gunman barricaded himself in a building at Schriever Air Force Base Monday morning.

The incident began about 10 a.m. when the airman took out a pistol inside a building where an armory is located, but the gunman was locked inside an office. It ended peacefully after the man gave up and was taken into custody around 8 p.m.

Schriever Air Force Base is in El Paso County, about 60 miles south of Denver.

The gunman was an airman and the building is used for deploying troops. His name hasn't been released but he's said to be 21 years old and has been in the military about 2 years and 9 months.

CBS4 has learned the airman is in trouble with the law in civilian courts and could be discharged from the military.

The building was evacuated and no shots were fired.

Schriever Air Force Base is where the military's GPS system is controlled. It's the same system that civilians use. The gunman was located in a building about a 1/2 mile away, but precautions were taken.

"We're taking every precaution to ensure that their safety is taken care of. The individual is contained within the facility, so we're not anticipating any impact on the mission at the same time," a military official said.

Gunman Map
(credit: CBS)

The Air Force said the airman is a member of a security squadron. He was armed with his own handgun.

A negotiator and the SWAT team from the El Paso County Sheriff's Department were called in by the Air Force. The negotiator had been talking with the gunman. It's not clear how authorities were able to able to talk the man out or if they had forced their way into the office.

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