WASHINGTON, D.C. – It all started near the White House when the driver of a black car, a woman, rammed a barricade Thursday afternoon. Secret Service tried to stop her, but she took off. Officers gave chase and ended up outside the gates of the US Capitol. Shots were fired, and the woman driver was killed.
One witness says, “I heard 7 to 10 shots fired. However, the car continued on and police chased it, and seconds later there was what sounded like an explosion, but what may have been a crash, I couldn’t tell. There were police everywhere. They came out with assault rifles.”
A one-year-old girl also in the car was unharmed. She is now in protective custody. A Secret Service agent and a Capitol police officer were injured but are expected to recover. Chief Kim Dine says, “I personally spoke with the officer, and he’s doing well. He’s a 23-year-veteran of the United States Capitol police, and he’s doing very well.”
Investigators haven’t released much information about the suspect, but police were at her apartment in Connecticut late Thursday.
Earlier Thursday, legislative sessions at the House and Senate were briefly suspended, and some offices near the White House were placed on lockdown. In a rare moment of unity in Congress, Democrats and Republicans praised police. Minority Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer (D), said, “I know I join the majority leader in expressing our gratitude to the capitol police.”
There is no indication Thursday’s incident has any links to terrorism. Police also say there’s no indication this was simply an accident.
