US Capitol Senate building locked down amid active shooter false alarm | US News
Senate office buildings were locked down as US Capitol Police responded to an active shooter report that turned out to be a ‘bad call’.
Capitol Police searched for a possible active gunman at the Senate buildings in Washington, DC, after receiving a ‘concerning 911 call’ around 2.30pm on Wednesday.
The report set off chaos at the US Capitol as workers fled amid fear and confusion.
‘A call come in for an active shooter’, said Officer Hugh Carew of the Metropolitan Police Department, which assisted Capitol Police.
‘It appears to be a bad call. No injuries and no shooter were located.’
US Capitol Police tweeted at 2.45pm directing the public to ‘please stay away from the area as we are still investigating. We will continue to communicate with the public here.’
The agency wrote in another tweet: ‘If you are inside the Senate Buildings, everyone inside should be sheltering in place as the report was for a possible active shooter. It should be noted that we do not have any confirmed reports of gunshots.’
Simultaneously, staff on Capitol Hill received an email from Capitol police about an ‘internal security threat’.
The email directed all Senate buildings staff to immediately ‘move inside your office or the nearest office’. Staff were told to ‘close, lock and stay away from external doors and windows’.
‘If you are in a public space, find a place to hide or seek cover,’ states the memo.
As of 4.04pm, all three Senate buildings were cleared, according to US Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger. Following an investigation, cops found ‘nothing’, he said.
The shooter scare and lockdown occurred as most lawmakers are away from the Capitol for the August recess. While most staff return to their congressional districts during the break, some do go to their offices.
It happened a day before former President Donald Trump is due to be near the Capitol complex.
Trump is scheduled to appear in federal court at 4pm on Thursday after his indictment in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the January 6 Capitol riot and efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Manger said that the Capitol Police force is prepared for Trump’s high-profile visit, which will likely generate a crowd and possibly protests.
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