More than two years after the incident on January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill was on edge again Wednesday afternoon as US Capitol Police investigated claims of an active shooter in the Russell office building.
Authorities searched the Senate side of the Capitol, where they had been told to lock themselves in their offices after receiving a threatening phone call, but discovered no sign of an active shooter, according to several sources.
US Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger told reporters it “may have been a bogus call,” and that after more than 200 officers checked every building to make sure everything was safe, there was still no sign of an active shooter.
As of right now, zilch. There have been “no victims” and “no one has heard gunfire,” he continued. Security hazards have been eliminated from all three Senate office buildings.
Metropolitan Police Department spokesman: “no evidence of anyone injured” and “unable to substantiate” the call at this time.
Security is tightening up in Washington as former president Donald Trump prepares to appear in a federal courthouse on Thursday, just blocks from the US Capitol. On Tuesday, a federal grand jury indicted Trump on criminal counts stemming from special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the plot to sabotage the 2020 election and destroy the US Capitol in the days leading up to the attack on January 6.
On Wednesday, about 2:30 p.m. EST, USCP sent an alert to the Senate staff.
Instructions included ‘If you are in a public area, find a place to hide or seek cover; if there is a security threat inside the building, immediately: move inside your office or the nearest office; take emergency equipment and visitors; close, lock and stay away from external doors and windows’.
A social media statement from USCP at 2:45 p.m. EST stated, “Our officers are searching in and around the Senate Office Buildings in response to a concerning 911 call.”
There has been a report of a possible active shooter in the Senate Buildings, therefore everyone inside should take cover immediately. No confirmed reports of gunfire have been received,” the message said.
The Congress is currently on recess for the month of August.