WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas — Authorities in White Settlement have reopened the main gate of Lockheed Martin after a deadly situation led to a lockdown Thursday morning.
There was a large police presence around the base in White Settlement as they investigated what they called a "suspicious device" at the scene.
The main gate at Lockheed Martin was closed for hours and employees were moved to other gates. The main gate appeared to have been reopened by 11 a.m.
The police department said officers first responded to a shooting at the main entry gate of Lockheed Martin. That was at about 5:35 a.m. Thursday.
White Settlement police chief Chris Cook said officers found a man in his 60s dead inside the vehicle.
"We believe now, based upon witness statements that we've received from Lockheed security, that the man shot himself," he said.
Before the shooting, the deceased man allegedly asked Lockheed security to "locate or identify" someone working at the base, according to Cook. A spokesperson for Lockheed said it was happening while employees were switching shifts.
The chief said police noticed a "suspicious" briefcase in the backseat of the man's vehicle. Bomb technicians from Fort Worth Police were on the scene to see if the briefcase was an explosive.
"Once that occurs, we'll allow the medical examiner to retrieve the actual body of the deceased," said the chief. "No one was injured in this incident. No shots were fired from Lockheed security staff."
White Settlement Police later said the briefcase was safe.
Cook said multiple agencies have been helping to investigate this incident. The Dallas Division of the FBI confirmed with WFAA that they were also sending resources.
"The real question for us and for Lockheed is who this individual is, why did he come to the gate this morning, why did he do what he did," Cook said.
He also emphasized the importance of handling the situation thoroughly.
"It's always concerning, especially in this day and age," he said. "We've had a lot of recent incidents across the country involving shootings at various places, and so we take these things very seriously."
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Officer will identify the deceased man once his next of kin is notified.