False alarm at the Capitol: police received a call about suspected active shooter in the Senate offices
After an arduous investigation, the USCP said there was no active threat at this time and began the process to reopen all buildings.
(Cacophony/Wikimedia Commons)
On Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) reported on social media that 911 received a "concerning call" about a possible active shooter in the Senate Office Buildings. However, it was all a false alarm.
Around 1:45 p.m. ET, the USCP explained that its officers were hard at work searching both inside and outside the Senate offices in response to a call alerting of a suspected shooter. Although authorities had not yet received confirmed reports of shots fired, they decided to issue a warning and asked all persons to stay away from the area while an investigation was conducted.
The USCP even asked people inside the buildings to seek shelter. However, at 4:04 p.m., the Capitol Police indicated that they were able to clear all the buildings.
A few minutes later, the USCP declared that there was no active threat and informed via social media that they were preparing to reopen the Senate Office Buildings and allow people to enter. Although no further details have been released as to who made the call or what prompted it, all indications are that it was a false alarm.
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