NAPLES, Italy – Two weeks after reports of a possible active shooter triggered a lockdown on Naples naval support activity and the search for a shooter, Navy officials have yet to explain what happened.

The base also did not identify the man who was taken into custody as a “person of interest” in the Dec. 16 incident. He also did not say if he is still in custody or if he will face charges.

Investigators determined the shots were from an airsoft gun, and base police seized one from the man they apprehended.

Base spokesperson Lt. Jamie Moroney declined to comment on Wednesday, citing the ongoing investigation. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is handling the investigation, Moroney said.

An NCIS spokesperson in Quantico, Va., Julio Burgos, confirmed on Wednesday that agents had responded and are investigating, but declined to comment further.

At around 6 p.m. on December 16, what looked like gunfire was reported near the base’s combined middle and high school.

This caused the Gricignano di Aversa base site to be locked down while security forces searched for a man believed to be carrying an airsoft rifle.

About two hours later, the base said it had arrested a man and confiscated the gun.

Personal weapons, including airsoft guns, are prohibited on the base, Moroney said earlier this month.

The Gricignano di Aversa site includes schools, housing, a shopping center, a hospital and a hotel. It is approximately 13 miles from the Capodichino base site, which includes administrative and support services and is home to the U.S. 6th Fleet.

About 8,500 people are assigned to the base, according to its website.

alison bath

Alison Bath reports on the U.S. Navy, including the U.S. 6th Fleet, in Europe and Africa. She has reported for various publications in Montana, Nevada and Louisiana, and has served as editor of newspapers in Louisiana, Oregon and Washington.