Gunfire was heard near the Capitol on Sunday morning as reports claimed that a gunman crashed his car near the Capitol barricade and opened fire in the street.
As the gunman's car burst in flames, he suddenly shot himself. No casualties have been reported in the incident, which began around 4 am as the unidentified gunman rammed his car into a barricade at East Capitol Street and Second Street in Washington DC.
Gunman's Car Engulfed In Flames
The police informed that while the man was getting out of the car, it became engulfed in flames. The man then fired several shots into the air along East Capitol Street.
When our officers heard the sound of gunfire, they immediately responded and were approaching the man when he shot himself, according to the US Capitol Police.
The Man Was Targeting Any Members of Congress
Officials also believe that at this time, the incident doesn't "appear the man was targeting any Members of Congress, who are on recess, and it does not appear officers fired their weapons."
"Our investigators are looking into the man's background. DC's Metropolitan Police Department is handling the death investigation," said Capitol Police.
Both the House and Senate are in recess and very few staff members work in the Capitol complex at that hour, according to a report. The attack is reminiscent of an incident when a man drove a vehicle into two Capitol Police officers at a checkpoint in April 2021, killing Officer William 'Billy' Evans, 41, who was an 18-year veteran of the force, reported Daily Mail.
The incident came at a time when the FBI raided former president Donald Trump's resort in Mar-a-Lago. Federal officials have warned that the government buildings can be targeted and some have also expressed the possibility that if the situation worsens, violent incidents similar to the Capitol riot could happen.
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