Chaos broke out Tuesday morning at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst when the entire installation was placed on lockdown over what turned out to be a hoax. By the afternoon, federal prosecutors said a civilian Navy employee was in custody, accused of making up the threat.
Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba didn’t mince words:
“This kind of senseless fear-mongering and disruption will not be tolerated in my state. After everything this country has gone through, especially in light of current events, I will be sure to bring down the hammer of the law for anyone found guilty of creating unnecessary panic and undermining public trust.”
What Happened Tuesday
According to investigators, Malika Brittingham, who worked at the base, sent a text message around 10:15 a.m. claiming she heard “five or six gunshots” and was hiding with colleagues. The person she texted believed her and called the Base Defense Operations Center and 911. Within minutes, an active shooter alert went out to the entire base.
The 42,000-acre facility, which spans parts of Burlington and Ocean counties, is the largest military installation in New Jersey and one of the biggest in the country. Roughly 42,000 people live and work there—including members of the Army, Air Force, and Navy.
Personnel were told to shelter in place until the lockdown was lifted just before noon, less than an hour after it began.
The Investigation
When agents sat down with Brittingham, she first insisted her text was sent after she got the base-wide emergency alert. But phone records told a different story. Investigators checked the timeline of her message against the calls that went to 911 and the Base Defense Operations Center. The records showed her text came first—and that it triggered the alert, not the other way around.
At that point, officials say, she admitted she made the story up.
Why It Matters
The hoax didn’t just waste resources—it rattled thousands of people living and working on one of the country’s most critical military installations. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, covering 42,000 acres across Burlington and Ocean counties, houses members of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, along with their families and civilian employees.
Even a short lockdown creates disruption. It forces schools, offices, and families on base to react as though the threat is real. Federal prosecutors stressed that they intend to hold anyone accountable who stirs up that kind of unnecessary panic.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.