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Woman killed outside US Capitol after ramming White House barricade

The Daily Caller dailycaller.com
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6:23 p.m.: The Daily Caller’s Alex Pappas reports on the press conference:

Officials with the U.S. Secret Service, D.C. Police Department and and U.S. Capitol Police briefed reporters outside the Capitol on the deadly car chase at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said the driver of the car has been pronounced dead, but didn’t say if the driver was armed. Lanier declined to give any information on the suspect, explaining authorities are still investigating the incident.

She also declined to say how many officers used guns or how many rounds were fired.

Lanier said the driver attempted to breach “two security perimeters” — at the Capitol and at the White House.

Lanier said police have taken a child — who was riding in the car — into protective custody.

Shots were fired at two places on Capitol Hill, the chief said.

Ed Donovan, a Secret Service spokesman, said, “There were no shots fired at the White House.”

U.S. Capitol Police chief Kim Dine said an officer injured — a 23 year veteran — is “doing well … He’s going to be fine.”

Dine said the officer was injured in a vehicle that struck a barricade.

Dine also said all evidence at this time indicates that it is an “isolated singular matter” with “no nexus to terrorism.”

5:01 p.m.: The Daily Caller’s Alexis Levinson reports that the Capitol is back to normal:

1) the Capitol Police moved the presser back to 6 pm.

2) things inside the Capitol are back to normal. The House just took a vote, and they’re back to giving speeches on the floor.

4:51 p.m.: The Daily Caller’s Alexis Levinson has an update on shirtless Kiwi Matthew Jacobs, the day’s breakout-star eyewitness :

Matthew Jacobs, a 26-year-old from Wellington, New Zealand told reporters he had seen a car run through a barricade, and in the process “bowled someone over,” one of the people that was walking through the are.

matthewjacobs

The shirtless Jacobs, who was riding a Capitol bike share bike, biked up to the Capitol — “we just wanted to see where all the action was,” he said.

 

4:41 p.m.: The New York Times’ Doug Mills: Times’ photographer captures a Hill staffer who won’t let a deadly chase and shooting get in the way of doing the People’s business.

 

 

4:22 p.m.: The Daily Caller’s Alexis Levinson notes: Capitol police aren’t being paid right now. They’re considered essential so they’re at work, but no paycheck.

 

4:05 p.m.: The Daily Caller’s Alex Pappas reports:

Speaking to reporters a block away from Constitution and 2nd Street: One witness described seeing a police chase and then a brief shootout. The witness said he saw police box in someone in a car near the Supreme Court building. The driver of the car then drove up on the sidewalk and that’s when police boxed her in. That’s when the shooting started. The witness said he then ducked down to hide from “stray bullets.” He estimated hearing about 10 or 12 shots.

 

3:53 p.m.: The Daily Caller’s Alexis Levinson reports:

WASHINGTON — The incident that culminated in a shooting at the U.S. Capitol began around 2:18 near the White House when a car tried to pass a barricade, us Capitol police chief Kim Dine said at a press conference at 3:30.

Secret service attempted to stop the car. Shots were possibly fired, and in the pursuit, the driver rammed a police vehicle.

The car ended up at 2nd and Maryland NE where it hit a barricade.

Both scenes are now secure, Dine said.

Dine said they believed it was an isolated incident and not terrorism related.

Police believe there was a child in the car, but said they have no information on the condition of anyone in the car. They believe the driver to be female.

Dine could not confirm where shots had been fired, but the Capitol was locked down earlier over reports of shots fired, and senators told The Daily Caller they had heard shots fired near the Capitol.

Dine promised another update around 4 pm.

 

3:51 p.m.: New York Times: Literally before the body is cold, America’s Newspaper of Record ties the incident to the government shutdown.

 

3:36 p.m.: The Daily Caller’s Grae Stafford: Photos from the scene:

Cap Hill Set 1 1 Cap Hill Set 1 2 Cap Hill Set 1 3

 

3:30 p.m.: Various sources: Multiple reports that the female suspect had a child in the car. The child is uninjured.

 

3:20 p.m.: The Daily Caller’s Jim Treacher live blog: Reports from various Twitter sources include a claim from Fox’s Jennifer Griffin that the slain suspect had “apparent mental problems” and one from Fox’s Bret Baier that the suspect rammed the White House barrier at 15th Street near the Treasury.

 

3:15 p.m.: MSNBC Washington reports : “Female driver who had rammed White House gate then drove to Cap Hill, exited her car, started shooting, then was herself shot.” Multiple other sources are reporting that there was a baby involved in the situation.

 

3:10 p.m.: US Capitol Police announcement: The police have lifted their previous “shelter in place” advisory.

“The United States Capitol Police have stabilized the incident. Occupants may exit their shelter in place location. Additional updates will follow.”

 

3:04 p.m.: The Daily Caller’s Whitney Waters: Interviews a California tourist who estimates nine shots were fired.

 

3:00 p.m.: The Daily Caller’s Whitney Waters reports: A police car was wrecked outside the Capitol.

 

2:59 p.m.: MSNBC reports: “No longer a active shooter situation.” Helicopter on lawn was a medevac.

 

2:52 p.m.: Reuters reports: Three injured.

 

2:41 p.m.: TheDC’s Alexis Levinson reports — A police officer told me all the doors of the Capitol are locked. People can go up and down, but not out. 

2:38 p.m.: TheDC’s Alexis Levinson reports — The Capitol building has been placed on lockdown after a shooting was reported outside. Police are telling people to “shelter in place,” sending visitors into offices and galleries. An officer told The Daily Caller there was shooting outside on the west front of the Capitol. Sens. Bob Casey and Sherrod Brown told reporters they were walking back to the Capitol when they heard shots, about 3, and a police officer told them to “get the fuck down” behind a car for several minutes before they were allowed to come back inside the Capitol. The two said they heard between three and five shots.

The U.S. Capitol is in lockdown amid reports that shots were fired outside the building. We will update this story as it develops.