Coyote Culling at NAS Whidbey Island Sparks Lockdown After Gunfire Reports

Night-shift sailors working near aircraft hangars at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island reported hearing multiple gunshots shortly before 10:20 p.m. on a Thursday, prompting base security to impose a short lockdown that included gate closures, restricted movement and shelter-in-place protocols, Base Public Affairs Officer Mike Welding said.

Base security later confirmed the shots came from U.S. Department of Agriculture personnel conducting routine coyote activity mitigation on the airfield, the Whidbey News‑Times reported. The mitigation took place at night on the airfield, the same area where sailors were stationed near hangars when they heard the sounds.

Welding framed the mitigation as safety-driven, saying coyotes are a "distinct hazard to aircraft" and that USDA personnel seek to "remove them" on base at night, when they are more likely to be active. Whidbey News‑Times reported that USDA coyote mitigation is "closely coordinated with base security," and that USDA personnel conducting mitigation must check out guns from the base armory before operations.

Welding commended the sailors' response, saying, "Given their perspective, the sailors did the right thing in reporting what they heard and allowing base security to respond to what ended up being a known, controlled activity." His comments provide the base's explanation for why an active-shooter scare prompted a rapid security posture despite the later confirmation of a planned wildlife mitigation action.

The lockdown was the second security-related incident at NAS Whidbey Island this month, Whidbey News‑Times noted; on Feb. 3 base defense systems downed a drone that had been flown on base in violation of base policy. Together, the drone takedown and the coyote-mitigation lockdown highlight two separate events that drew a security response within the same month.

Public reporting and the available accounts do not include a specific calendar date for the Thursday incident, the exact duration of the lockdown, the number of shots fired, the number of USDA personnel involved, or whether any injuries or property damage occurred. Whidbey News‑Times and the South Whidbey Record published the initial accounts and the Welding quotes; the South Whidbey Record item ran Feb. 17, 2026.

Residents or base personnel seeking more detail can contact NAS Whidbey Island Public Affairs; Mike Welding provided the on-the-record explanation cited in reporting. Journalists or community members seeking a full timeline or operational records may request an official statement or incident log from NAS Whidbey Island Public Affairs to clarify unresolved questions about timing, personnel and procedures.