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Security Guard Dies After Being Shot At U.S. Census Bureau In Maryland

Updated: 1 a.m. ET Friday:

A spokeswoman for Prince George's Hospital Center says Lawrence Buckner, the security guard at the U.S.Census Bureau headquarters in Suitland, Md., died at the hospital at 7:19 p.m. Thursday.

The Associated Press reports: An armed man kidnapped a woman, shot the guard at the Census Bureau campus and led police on a car chase through Maryland and Washington, D.C., before he was captured. Authorities cornered him in an exchange of gunfire that left the suspect and a police officer wounded.

Original Post:

A security guard at the U.S. Census Bureau headquarters in Suitland, Md., was shot by a gunman and left critically injured on Thursday.

The Washington Post reports that the incident resulted in a police chase, which ended in gunfire miles away in Washington, D.C.

For a while, authorities believed the gunman may have been inside the Census campus, so tactical teams made their way through the buildings.

A little after 9 p.m. ET., the Fox affiliate in Washington reported that authorities issued the all-clear on loud speakers.

Police told local media that the security guard had suffered life threatening injuries.

Update at 8:21 p.m. ET. Making Sure Everyone Is Safe:

In a statement, the U.S. Census Bureau said there had been "an incident" at their campus in Suitland.

"We are committed to the safety of all staff who work at the Census Bureau and are currently making sure that everyone is safe and secure," the statement read.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was at the scene of an "active shooter incident" at the Bureau.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.