PoliticsPoliticsus capitol shooting

U.S. Capitol Briefly Put On Lockdown After Suicide Outside Building

U.S. Capitol Briefly Put On Lockdown After Suicide Outside Building
Igor Bobic
By 

Senior Politics Reporter, HuffPost

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 26: People walk past the U.S. Capitol Building, where the Senate is working late into the evening before leaving on a two week break March 26, 2015 in Washington, DC. The Senate is voting on a range of amendments to the budget proposal and are expected to vote on final passage of a budget later this evening. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 26: People walk past the U.S. Capitol Building, where the Senate is working late into the evening before leaving on a two week break March 26, 2015 in Washington, DC. The Senate is voting on a range of amendments to the budget proposal and are expected to vote on final passage of a budget later this evening. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

The U.S. Capitol was placed on lockdown Saturday afternoon after reports of a shooting near the building's west facade. A Capitol Hill source told The Huffington Post that a "demonstrator" had killed himself on the lower west terrace.

According to NBC4, the man carried a sign that said "something about taxing the 1 percent," an apparent reference to the Occupy movement.

More from the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Police report shots fired on the west front of the Capitol in Washington and say the building has been locked down as a precaution.

Spokeswoman Kimberly Schneider of the Capitol Police says in a statement that the suspected shooter has been "neutralized," but there is no immediate explanation what that means.

She also says the 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 center.

Congress has been on spring break for two weeks and lawmakers are set to return to work Monday.

Before You Go

U.S. Capitol Photos

|
Submit a tip

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot