By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 17:03 BST, 24 September 2025 | Updated: 20:36 BST, 24 September 2025
A gunman opened fire outside of an Air Force base in Nevada linked to Area 51, according to police. The unknown suspect 'fired rounds' at the main gate of the site and was 'behaving erratically' around 12.30am Wednesday in Las Vegas, a Nellis AFB spokesperson told the Daily Mail. Security officers then 'challenged the suspect who pointed his firearm at them,' the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said. The alleged gunman was shot in the leg and taken to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries after a tourniquet was applied. Following the incident, Nellis Air Force Base took to Facebook saying its main gate will be temporarily closed 'until further notice'. In the meantime, another entrance has been opened to 'alleviate traffic flow'. The base will announce when the main gate is reopened. There is no threat to the public and the investigation is ongoing, officials said. Area 51 is a highly classified Air Force facility located within the Nevada Test and Training Range, which falls under the broader jurisdiction of Nellis Air Force Base.While both sites are used for testing classified aircraft and weapons, Area 51 is a remote, secretive part of the military complex, far from the main base gates in Las Vegas. An unidentified gunman opened fire at the Nevada Air Force base around 12.30am Wednesday The alleged shooter 'fired rounds' at the main gate of the base before security hit him in leg There is no threat to the public and the investigation is ongoing, officials saidThe Daily Mail contacted Nellis Air Force Base and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police for comment. The base hosts a series of air combat exercises, including Red Flag, close air support and Green Flag-West, among others. It opened up in April 1950 and was dedicated to the family of William Harrel Nellis, a United States fighter pilot who died in the line of duty. He flew 70 Second World War combat missions. The base was initially named the Las Vegas Air Force Base prior to his death.
