A gunman drove his car into a barricade near the US Capitol building, opened fire in the air and then shot himself, police say.
As he got out of the vehicle in Washington DC, it is said to have burst into flames.
No one else was injured in the incident, which happened around 4 a.m. local time, the officers explained.
The Capitol Police Department said in a statement: “At this point, it doesn’t appear that the man was targeting Congressmen who are on recess, and it doesn’t appear that officers have fired their weapons.
“Our detectives are investigating the man’s background.”
Police added: “When our officers heard the sound of gunshots, they reacted immediately and approached the man as he shot himself.”
It comes as law enforcement agencies across the country face mounting threats amid warnings about the potential of violent attacks on government buildings in the days since the FBI searched former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
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 an 18-year-old police veteran.
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Many on Capitol Hill remain on edge after supporters of then-President Trump stormed the building on January 6 last year.
In the latest incident, police do not believe officers fired their own weapons.
The vehicle allegedly hit the barricades on East Capitol Street and Second Street before the man fired “several shots” into the air along East Capitol Street.
The man, who was later pronounced dead, has not been identified.
More to follow.
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