People in Senate buildings at Capitol urged to shelter in place amid possible active shooter report: Police

Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on August 2, 2023

(WASHINGTON D.C)–All Senate buildings at the Capitol have been searched and deemed clear following a report of a “possible active shooter,” authorities said.

“There is no active threat,” police tweeted.

“We found nothing concerning,” police said at a news conference.

“This may have been a bogus call,” police said, adding that there were no confirmed gunshots.

Earlier on Wednesday afternoon the Capitol Police urged everyone inside the Senate buildings to shelter in place as officers searched “in response to a concerning 911 call.”

The original call warned that there was an active shooter in body armor at the Hart Senate Office Building, police said.

Scary. Major police response at the US Capitol Russell Building, police yelling at people to run away. pic.twitter.com/h6PY0Zj9Cw

— Corey Walters (@cjmithli) August 2, 2023

According to law enforcement officials, police are trying to trace the source of the call. Police said at the press conference that when they tried calling back the number, it bounced back to different locations every time.

Someone suffering from “emotional distress” was seen being taken out on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance, sources said.

Both the Senate and House of Representatives are currently out of session on a summer recess.