Milwaukee City Hall, Zeidler Building lockdown Thursday

Milwaukee City Hall and the Zeidler Municipal Building were placed on lockdown after a loud bang – initially thought to be a possible gunshot – was heard on Thursday afternoon, May 15.

What they're saying:

It happened shortly after 3 p.m. Employees were told to shelter in place, and a large police scene complete with tactical vehicles responded outside the buildings.

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Jeff Fleming, the chief of staff for Mayor Cavalier Johnson, told FOX6 News the lockdown started after a loud bang. It was unclear whether that was a gunshot or a door slamming, prompting the response.

In a later news conference, Johnson said no injuries were reported and "nothing essentially happened at this time."

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"Nobody actually pulled a gun, nobody actually fired any weapons," Johnson later said. "One of the thoughts is that perhaps somebody slammed a door, one or multiple times, and that may ultimately been what caused the noise that encouraged employees to call the police."

Milwaukee police confirmed a search of the building did not locate any evidence of a shooting or shots fired. The investigation remains ongoing.

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Whatever took place, the mayor said it is his "understanding" that the situation involved a terminated employee.

The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwaukee Police Department and Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

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