Shots fired in DC Office Building near Capitol

**Virginian** · 05-26-06, 10:54 AM

There are reports shots have been fired in Rayburn House Office Building across street from U.S. Capitol. Entire Capitol complex is locked down.

**Virginian** · 05-26-06, 10:57 AM

Police sealed off the Capitol on Friday after receiving reports of gunfire in a House office building across the street.

Capitol police are investigating "the sound of gunfire in the garage level of the Rayburn House Office Building," said an announcement on the internal Capitol voice alarm system.

Doesn't sound good, but hopefully it's not what it seems.

**Sheriff** · 05-26-06, 11:04 AM

I know one of the buildings and grounds security guards up there who posts about anything exciting like this in another forum. As soon as he posts his version of the tale, I'l let you know what he says.

**Virginian** · 05-26-06, 11:05 AM

I believe we have one of our own here

**Virginian** · 05-26-06, 11:05 AM

Police sealed off the Capitol on Friday after receiving reports of gunfire in a House office building across the street.

Capitol police are investigating "the sound of gunfire in the garage level of the Rayburn House Office BHuilding," said an announcement on the internal Capitol voice alarm system.

The Senate was in session at the time, but the House was not.

Rep. Peter Hoekstra (news, bio, voting record), R-Mich., conducting a House Intelligence Committee hearing, interrupted a witness to request those attending the meeting to remain in the room and said the doors must be closed.

"It's a little unsettling to get a Blackberry message put in front of you that says there's gunfire in the building," he said.

Little more info

**Piggybank Cop** · 05-26-06, 11:39 AM

No confirmation
There was no confirmation of gunfire.

Shortly after police sealed off the Capitol, four ambulances arrived at the garage entrance to the Rayburn House Office building and police expanded the area being sealed off.

“They said they heard gunfire in the Rayburn garage but this is a huge building, I’m guessing it’s a car backfiring or balloons popping,” said Gene Smith, chief of staff to Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., who has an office in Rayburn.

U.S. Capitol Police Department’s Containment & Emergency Response Team maintains an indoor shooting range in the basement of the Rayburn building, according to the department’s Web site.

Jeff Connor, a spokesman for Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., said Capitol Hill police notified the office that gunfire was heard in the Rayburn building garage.

“They specifically said there was the sound of gunfire on one of the garage levels of the Rayburn House office building and asked staff to remain in their offices,” Connor said.

While the House was adjourned for the Memorial Day weekend, at least one committee was meeting.

Few attacks in past
Incidents of violence inside the Capitol and its office buildings are rare.

On July 24, 1998, a man with a history of mental illness shot and killed Capitol Police officer Jacob J. Chestnut at a first-floor Capitol entrance. He then charged into an adjacent suite of offices occupied by Tom DeLay, then the House Republican whip, and exchanged fire with officer John Gibson, who also was killed. The gunman was wounded and captured.

In 1983, a late-night bomb, possibly set by someone protesting U.S. military action in Grenada and Lebanon, exploded just outside the Senate chamber. No one was injured.