United States CapitolAfter slamming a car into a nearby barricade and setting it on fire, it allegedly manufactured a weapon and opened fire "indiscriminately" near the building. man died.
The shocking scene was first reported early Sunday morning by her Lisa Desjardins of PBS News, citing multiple sources. The US Capitol Police later revealed details of the incident in a news release.
Police said in her news release that the crash occurred around 4 a.m. Eastern time. The suspect was later identified as 29-year-old Richard Aaron York.
"At this time, it does not appear that the man was aimed at the resting MPs, and it does not appear that the officers fired their weapons," read an agency statement.
"When our officers heard the gunshot, they reacted immediately and approached the man when he shot himself. No one else was hurt." continued.
The unidentified man reportedly shot himself when police approached him shortly after the crash. He is said to have fired the weapon "several times" before taking his life. The incident itself is said to have started at an intersection blocked by an anti-vehicle barricade on the US Capitol between the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress.
With both houses of Congress currently in recess, lawmakers are scattered across the country. The Capitol itself was almost empty at the time.
