US Capitol, visitors centre on precautionary lockdown after man shoots himself
Posted Apr 11, 2015 03:02:36 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
WASHINGTON – Police say the U.S. Capitol is on lockdown as a precaution after shots were fired in what appears to be an attempted suicide.
Capitol Police spokeswoman Kimberly Schneider says the suspected shooter was “neutralized” after a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It’s unclear whether the man is dead. No one else is believed to be hurt.
Schneider also says Capitol Police are investigating a suspicious package on the lower west terrace of the building.
No one is being allowed to enter or exit the Capitol and the visitors centre, and some streets around the complex are closed.
The lockdown comes during Washington’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which attracts scores of tourists.
Congress has been on spring break for two weeks and lawmakers are set to return to work Monday.
