WASHINGTON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Police found no shooter and no one injured after reports of a possible active shooter in the U.S. Capitol complex on Wednesday after a possible “bad call,” Washington Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Hugh Carew said.

“A call came in for an active shooter. It appears to be a bad call. No injuries and no shooter were located,” Carew said.

Earlier, U.S. Capitol Police urged people inside Senate office buildings to shelter in place.

The U.S. Senate was in summer recess with most lawmakers not in Washington. However, congressional offices retain a skeleton staff on site. There also typically are dozens of workers staffing Senate cafeterias and coffee shops, security posts and working on building maintenance, as well as tourists in the Capitol.

One Senate staffer said that while the Capitol building itself was not on the highest level of lockdown, police advised all workers there to remain in their offices.

“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 said in a post on social media.

Police said they responded to an emergency call.

An advisory from the Capitol Police urged people to move inside their offices and take emergency equipment. It also asked them to silence their electronic equipment and remain quiet.

There was a heavy police presence outside the buildings, with some staffers standing outside and tourists gathered around the perimeters of the Capitol complex. Reporting by Moira Warburton, Patricia Zengerle, Kanishka Singh and Richard Cowan; Editing by Scott Malone and Doina Chiacu

      • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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        1 year ago

        If somebody is actually dumb enough to do that then they’re probably dumb enough to do it from the personal phone. So this shouldn’t exactly require Sherlock Holmes to investigate.

  • dhork@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    FYI, article has been updated to indicate it might have been a false alarm. Article uses the term “bad call”…

    Police found no shooter and no one injured after reports of a possible active shooter in the U.S. Capitol complex on Wednesday after a possible “bad call,” Washington Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Hugh Carew said.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
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    1 year ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    The U.S. Senate was in summer recess and the majority of lawmakers were not in, but most offices retain a skeleton staff on site.

    There also are typically are dozens of workers staffing Senate cafeterias and coffee shops, security posts and working on building maintenance.

    It should be noted that we do not have any confirmed reports of gunshots," the U.S. Capitol Police said in a post on social media.

    An advisory from the Capitol Police urged people to move inside their offices and take emergency equipment.

    There was a heavy police presence outside the buildings, with some staffers standing outside and tourists gathered around the perimeters of the Capitol complex.


    I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • dunning_cougar@waveform.social
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    1 year ago

    Please be mindful about spreading false information that may be potentially traumatic. This triggered my ptsd from the fatality from gun violence at the capital on January 6th.

    • SheeEttin@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      If you’re that sensitive to it, you should probably use a lemmy client that supports keyword filters or something.

    • Chetzemoka@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Obvious troll is obvious

      My apologies if I read this wrong. In this context, I knee jerk assumed it was sarcastic

        • Chetzemoka@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          I have to apologize, my initial read on that was that it was sarcastic. Like that whole right wing way of derailing a conversation by using the correct terminology of empathy in the wrong way at the wrong time on purpose because they think it’s funny. And then the “whudabout teh tolerant left?!” cry.

          Reading it again, I can see that it could be sincere. I think it’s just an unexpected response to a news story on a public forum (as opposed to, say, a private conversation with friends), and that’s why I read it wrong in this particular context. There’s been a recent increase in conversation derailers that has me on the lookout for them

    • Remmock@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      You mean the terrorist who was killed while attempting to breach our Capitol Building to overthrow our government?