A shelter-in-place order issued by the Pentagon Thursday due to an “air quality issue” ended after it was deemed a false alarm, Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell said.

“Earlier this morning, Pentagon occupants were notified of a potential air quality issue, prompting immediate precautionary safety measures and evaluation. Subsequent testing confirmed no hazard exists, and normal operations have resumed,” Parnell said in a statement.

“We express our sincere appreciation to the first responders for their swift actions to ensure the safety of all personnel.”

A Pentagon official told MS NOW that the incident did not affect senior leadership movements, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Full investigation results will take time, the official said.

“After a real-time detection of a biological agent, a full response was initiated and shelter-in-place was given. After samples were sent to the lab, initial results came back as negative,” the official said.

In announcing the shelter-in-place order earlier, Parnell said in a statement that “the Pentagon has sophisticated systems to ensure the safety of the building and its occupants. Those systems have detected an air quality issue necessitating precautionary measures until we determine its significance.”

An email sent to Pentagon employees Thursday morning and obtained by MS NOW instructed those “between corridors 4 through 7, on floors 2-5, A-E rings” to remain in place until test results are received, which could take up to two hours. The E-ring of the Pentagon houses the offices of some of the highest-ranking U.S. military officials.

By noon, roughly an hour after that email was sent, the situation on the ground appeared to be de-escalating. Fire trucks left the area, though Pentagon police remained on the scene.

Arlington Fire and EMS said earlier that its hazardous materials team is “currently operating at the Pentagon” in support of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s hazmat team “during a hazardous materials incident.”

Julia Jester contributed reporting.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Vance Boelter, the man accused of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers, killing one, changed his plea to guilty on Thursday.

Boelter is accused of fatally shooting Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, and injuring state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, in June 2025. He faces federal charges including murder, attempted murder and firearms violations, which have maximum penalties of up to life in prison or death. 

Boelter, who entered the courtroom with shackles on his ankles, pleaded guilty to six federal charges: two counts of murder, two counts of stalking and two counts of firearm offenses.

Sitting in the front row of the gallery were the Hoffmans, who survived the attack, local Minneapolis outlet Fox 9 reported.

Boelter initially pleaded not guilty to the charges. As part of his plea agreement, federal prosecutors said they will not seek the death penalty against him. Instead, he is expected to serve two life sentences and 40 years, according to the agreement.

During the hearing, Boelter admitted to specific details about the shootings. He said that after shooting Mark Hortman, he chased down House Speaker Melissa Hortman and fired the gun at her head.

Judge John R. Tunheim of the U.S. District Court for Minnesota did not set a date for Boelter’s sentencing at the Thursday hearing.

According to the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota, Boelter impersonated a police officer and traveled to the homes of Democratic state lawmakers “with the intent to intimidate and murder.”

He first went to Hoffman’s home, where he repeatedly shot the state senator and his wife and attempted to shoot their daughter, prosecutors say. Later that day, according to officials, he traveled to Hortman’s home, where he killed her and her husband.

Prosecutors say Boelter also traveled to the homes of two other Minnesota elected officials the day of the shootings, though they were not home.

Boelter was arrested near his home in Green Isle, Minnesota, after a two-day manhunt.

The shootings shook the state and led to condemnations of political violence from most politicians across the country. Gov. Tim Walz called it a “politically motivated” act of violence.

Boelter also faces state charges, but that case is on hold pending his federal case.

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