An armed intruder entered the Capitol Visitors Center outside of the U.S. Capitol on March 28, brandishing a weapon before being shot by Capitol Police.
There was a shelter-in-place order in effect for an hour at the Capitol building as a result of the incident. Credentialed personnel are allowed to enter the Capitol, but the CVC remains closed until March 29.
Capitol Police chief Matthew Verderosa said in a press conference that the suspect, a male who entered the North screening entrance of the CVC, was known to Capitol Police due to previous interactions.
After security magnetometers alerted officers at the entrance, Verderosa said the suspect drew a weapon and pointed it at them. Capitol Police fired on the suspect, who has since been taken to the hospital for surgery. A female bystander, aged 35-45, also received minor injuries from shrapnel during the shooting. Verderosa said he did not know how many officers fired their weapons at the scene.
“I want to stress that while this is preliminary, based on the initial investigation, we believe that this is the act of a single person who has frequented the Capitol grounds before, and there is no reason to believe that this is anything more than a criminal act,” he said.
The chief added that the suspect’s car had been located and was being processed. The CVC will reopen on March 29.
The White House was also previously on lockdown, but it has also been lifted.
The D.C. Metro Police Department said on Twitter that an isolated incident had occurred and there is no threat to the public.
