No gunman found at Capitol after 911 call that prompted staffers to shelter in place

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Wednesday, August 2, 2023
No gunman found at Capitol after 911 call
Investigators said the initial reports of an active shooter appear to stem from a bad call.

WASHINGTON -- All Senate buildings at the Capitol have been searched and deemed clear following a report of a "possible active shooter," authorities said.

"There is no active threat," police tweeted.

"We found nothing concerning," police said at a news conference.

"This may have been a bogus call," police said, adding that there were no confirmed gunshots.

Earlier on Wednesday afternoon the Capitol Police urged everyone inside the Senate buildings to shelter in place as officers searched "in response to a concerning 911 call."

The original call warned that there was an active shooter in body armor at the Hart Senate Office Building, police said.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate are currently on recess and the office buildings are generally less crowded than usual.

Staff and journalists working in the building received the following email instructing them to take shelter in a locked room, remain quiet and silence all electronics.

According to law enforcement officials, police are trying to trace the source of the call. Police said at the press conference that when they tried calling back the number, it bounced back to different locations every time.

Someone suffering from "emotional distress" was seen being taken out on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance, sources said.

Both the Senate and House of Representatives are currently out of session on a summer recess.