Shooting Near U.S. Capitol Hill Leads To Lockdown (VIDEO)

The US Capitol is on lockdown after reports of gun shots fired. Police were chasing a black car near the Capitol building. They cornered the car and that’s when shots rang out. Capitol Police say D.C. shooter in custody.

Shots were fired outside the U.S. Capitol Hill Thursday afternoon and Capitol police were telling people to shelter in place. The incident appeared to begin around 2:19 p.m. and Capitol police say the Capitol was locked down.

Officers with semi-automatic weapons were seen running for the exits on the first floor of the House side of the Capitol. Reports of shots inside were unconfirmed.

As of 2:26, the Senate floor was still open and the Senate was on the floor, but police were in the hallways, reporters on the scene said.

Rep. Gerry Connolly (R-Va.) was standing on a balcony of the U.S. Capitol with Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) when they heard two burst of gunfire coming from the direction of the Rayburn Office Building.

“It was almost like two very rapid fire bursts, very loud,” Connolly said. “They were clearly coming from the direction. That’s when we saw people fleeing, and we realized this was no fireworks. It sounds liked the first volley of a 21-gun salute.”

He said he could see people fleeing away from the Rayburn building and police officers running towards it before he was shepherded back into the building.

VIDEO

Update: A U.S. Capitol Police spokesman said that one officer was injured in a crash while pursuing the woman. Also, the woman was killed but this could not be confirmed immediately.