A man rammed his car into a barricade near the US Capitol early Sunday and then began to fire shots into the air from the burning vehicle before committing suicide, police said.
The incident occurred just before 4 am at a vehicle barricade located at East Capitol Street NE and 2nd Street SE, in Washington.
This occurs while law enforcement agencies across the country face an increasing number of threats and federal authorities have warned of the potential for violent attacks on government buildings after the FBI raided former President Donald Trump’s residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, a few days ago.
The attack is reminiscent of the incident where a man rammed a vehicle into two Capitol Police officers at a checkpoint in April 2021, killing an 18 year veteran in force. Many on Capitol Hill remain nervous after Trump supporters stormed Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, claiming election fraud.
Authorities said the man, whose identity has not been released, crashed into the barricade and as he got out of the car, the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The suspect then began firing into the air as police approached.
Capitol Police said the assailant shot himself as officers approached. He was later pronounced dead.
Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said officers didn’t hear the man say anything before start shooting "indiscriminately" on the street with a gun and walk to the Capitol. Authorities are investigating whether the man set his vehicle on fire, Manger said, because the collision did not appear to have started the fire.
Police officers on site they saw the man shoot himself as they got closer, Manger added.
Investigators tracked down Delaware and Pennsylvania addresses for the man and learned he had a criminal record for the last decade, though his motive is still unknown and he had no connection to Capitol Hill, Manger said.
"Right now we don’t have information state your reason"Manger added.
The police said that "It doesn’t look like the man was targeting any member of Congress." and that investigators are examining the background of the man to determine the motive for what happened. Both the House and Senate are in recess and very few staff members work in the Capitol complex at that time.
Authorities said that no other injuries were reported and it is believed that the police did not return fire.
