The U.S. Capitol Police issued a shelter-in-place order for Senate office buildings on Wednesday afternoon as officers responded to a possible active shooting.
The order came in response to a “concerning 911 call,” according to the Capitol Police’s Twitter account.
“If you are inside the Senate Buildings, everyone inside should be sheltering in place as the report was for a possible active shooter. It should be noted that we do not have any confirmed reports of gunshots,” the Capitol Police tweeted.
If you are inside the Senate Buildings, everyone inside should be sheltering in place as the report was for a possible active shooter. It should be noted that we do not have any confirmed reports of gunshots.
— The U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) August 2, 2023
The Senate office buildings are connected to the U.S. Capitol itself by an underground passageway.
Officers were seen with weapons drawn working their way through the building and instructing people to evacuate.
WARNING: The following video contains language that some viewers will find offensive.
#BREAKING The US @CapitolPolice says its officers are searching in and around the Senate Office Buildings in response to a concerning 911 call.
“If you’re inside the Senate Buildings, everyone inside should be sheltering in place as the report was for a possible active shooter.” pic.twitter.com/XhqZiLdAlw— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) August 2, 2023
Additionally, police vehicles were seen arriving in the area.
🚨#BREAKING: U.S. Capitol Police are responding to Possible Active Shooter at Senate Building Evacuations are Underway
📌#Washington | #DC
Currently, there’s a situation in Washington DC where multiple law enforcement and other agencies are responding to a possible active… pic.twitter.com/Vm52U0yfly
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) August 2, 2023
Just after 4 p.m. Eastern Time, the Capitol Police reported that the buildings had been cleared. Shortly thereafter, they announced that officers were “standing by to prepare the Senate office buildings for re-entry.”
The Associated Press noted that “both the House of Representatives and the Senate are currently on recess and the office buildings are generally less crowded than usual.”
