by Fairfax County, Virginia – CIA headquarters in McLean was placed on high alert after an armed man was spotted near the entrance of the secure facility on March 19, prompting a heavy police and SWAT team response. The scene turned tense as negotiators and a bomb squad joined officers at the location, shutting down traffic and placing a nearby school on lockdown.
According to Fairfax County Police, the incident began around 10:35 a.m. EDT near Georgetown Pike and Dolley Madison Boulevard, roughly 8.5 miles northwest of Washington, D.C. Local news sources reported the suspect was seated on a bench close to the CIA’s main gate on Route 123, allegedly brandishing a firearm and making threats.
Although initial reports mentioned gunfire, police later confirmed that no shots were fired and no injuries occurred. SWAT officers had the suspect at gunpoint, but it remains unclear whether he was detained or taken into custody. Authorities have not released details about the nature of the threats or the man’s identity.
The Fairfax County Bomb Squad, CIA Police, and crime scene negotiators were all present during the standoff, ensuring the area remained secure. As a precaution, a local school went into lockdown, and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) shut down all lanes of Route 123 at Georgetown Pike in both directions.
VDOT urged drivers to avoid the area, posting on X (formerly Twitter):
“#McLean: Route 123 at Georgetown Pike: All lanes in both directions closed due to police activity. Please avoid the area.”
Langley, home to the CIA’s main headquarters, employs an estimated 20,000 personnel. Despite the alarming scene, the situation was brought under control without injury or escalation.
This high-security alert occurred just one day after the public release of over 63,000 pages of previously classified documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The files, made available by the U.S. National Archives following an order by former President Donald Trump, have stirred renewed interest and speculation around the historic event.
Larry J. Sabato, a leading JFK scholar and director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, noted the importance of the documents but cautioned that a full review would take time.
