Police say a man with a shotgun led to the closure of the main gate to the Lockheed Martin plant in White Settlement Thursday morning. They say the man drove up to security at about 5:35 a.m.
"He requested to speak with someone from the FBI," said White Settlement Police Chief Chris Cook. Cook says security noticed a shotgun in the car and called police.
Police say the man shot and killed himself before they arrived.
"We're saddened by that. We're reassuring all of our employees it's a safe environment we provide, the security we have to make sure people can come and do the important work we do without concern for their safety," said Lockheed's Ken Ross.
When police arrived, Cook says they found a briefcase in the man's car. They called the Fort Worth Police bomb squad to investigate and shut down the main gate.
"It was out of an abundance of caution that we extended our perimeter based on some of the statements made by the suspect," Cook said.
Cook says the ATF, FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force joined the investigation. He says the Tarrant County Medical Examiner will confirm the man's identity, and they will work with federal agencies to try to establish the man's background and motive.
"I want to thank all of our federal, state, and local partners," Cook said. "Everyone's been instrumental in helping us today from the ATF, FBI, Marshals Service. We've just had an abundance of resources that's really critical for a small community like ourselves when we have a situation like this."
"The incident this morning just highlights the protocols we have in place for our physical security," Lockheed's Ross said. "Our team executed according to the plans that we have."
Traffic was diverted to another gate most of the morning. The main gate reopened about five hours after the man first drove up.
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