SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - While workers inside the hospital were on lockdown, many family members outside worried about their safety Tuesday morning.
Parents of children at a daycare facility received messages saying all of the kids were safe and accounted for, but it was still quite some time before they were allowed inside to see them.
Unconfirmed report of shots fired around 8:00 a.m. at Naval Medical Center San Diego in Balboa Park prompted a lockdown of the facility and nearby schools as law enforcement officers flooded the area and police dogs searched a building.
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Now we're hearing what it was like inside the building as the initial announcement came over the PA system.
"It was really scary, initially. We were making sure it wasn't a drill and then we had a few people in the office that shut everything down and we made sure all the doors were locked and closed," Elesa Avalos said.
Military police and working dogs conducted an initial search, then turned to a more thorough floor-by-floor sweep, according to Navy officials. SWAT teams were also clearing buildings, according to reports from the scene.
Shortly after 9 a.m., Navy officials announced that the entire complex had been secured, including its childcare facilities, and no one was being allowed access. All children were said to be accounted for and safe.
Nearby Roosevelt Middle, and Garfield and San Diego High schools were placed on lockdown as a precaution, according to the San Diego Unified School District. The lockdown was later lifted, as was a subsequent order for students to shelter in place.
Traffic going into the facility was also stopped for several hours, which caused the delay of scheduled surgeries and other procedures.