INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

United States Capitol Shooting: Lockdown Lifted After Police Shoot Suspect

By Kirsten Silven
Published on: 09:23 PST, Mar 28, 2016

A United States Capitol lockdown has lifted after a police officer shot a man with a gun, reported ABC News. The police shooting at the U.S. Capitol took out the suspect, who was identified as Larry Dawson of Tennessee. The shooter has been transported to a local hospital where he will receive treatment for his injuries.

According to ABC, the House, Senate and Library of Congress buildings have all reopened for routine business following the temporary lockdown at the U.S. Capitol this afternoon, but the Capitol Visitor Center remains closed for now. Eyewitness J.M. Evosevich told ABC he was heading through security, about to enter the visitor center, when he was informed about the active shooter.

“We all ran out. It’s pretty sobering… most stressful experience I’ve ever had in my life.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTjwpwhwi8o

According to Reuters, the gunman happened to select a day when both the Senate and the House of Representatives were not working, which meant few lawmakers were actually in the U.S. Capitol for the lockdown. Congressional sources told the news network that the police officer shooting took place close to the Capitol Visitor Center, which is a complex located mostly underground and is used mainly by tourists.

“Reports were unclear about whether a Capitol Hill police officer had been shot or wounded by shrapnel in the incident.”

CNN News also reported that two tourists who were at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center received minor injuries after being hit by bullet ricochet that happened during the shooting, but the reports remain unverified. According to initial reports, a U.S. government official said the suspect walked into the Visitor Center at the U.S. Capitol, pointed a gun a police officer and a shooting took place.

The Secret Service responded by immediately putting the U.S. Capitol on lockdown and temporarily cleared tourists from the area. In addition, ABC News reported that Capitol Police Chief Matthew Verderosa and the D.C. Police Department has classified the shooting as an isolated incident and does not expect there to be an additional threat to the public.

“We believe this is an act of a single person who has frequented the Capitol grounds before, and there is no reason to believe this is anything more than a criminal act.”

According to witnesses, the gunman attempted to pass through the metal detectors at the entrance to the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, but when the magnetometers sounded the alarm and security advanced he produced a firearm, prompting a Capitol police officer to shoot him. Chief Verderosa said the shooting suspect is currently undergoing surgery.

“The suspect was taken into custody and transported to the hospital for treatment. His condition is unknown at this time. A weapon was recovered on the scene.”

The U.S. Capitol lockdown lasted just over an hour after the incident. At this time, the Senate Sergeant at Arms has advised staffers and visitors to “return to normal operations. “Throughout today’s U.S. Capitol lockdown, the White House also shut down access to its northern and southern borders as a precautionary measure.

[Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images]

Share this article: United States Capitol Shooting: Lockdown Lifted After Police Shoot Suspect
More from Inquisitr