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 The suspect, Larry Dawson, 66, of Tennessee, was in stable but
critical condition at a hospital, Capitol Police said in a
statement.
A female bystander who suffered wounds was also taken to the
hospital, Capitol Police Chief Matthew Verderosa said at a news
conference. Her condition has not been disclosed.
Police believe the weapon may have been a pellet gun as opposed to
an actual firearm, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a law
enforcement official.
Dawson has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon and
assault on a police officer while armed, Capitol Police said.
No police officers were injured, Verderosa said. He said it was
unclear how many officers fired shots. A weapon was recovered on the
scene and the suspect's vehicle was found on Capitol grounds, he
said.
 "During routine administrative screening, the individual drew what
appeared to be a weapon and pointed it at officers," the police
chief said.
Verderosa said the man was known to Capitol Police.
"Based on initial investigation, we believe this is an act of a
single person who has frequented the Capitol grounds before. There
is no reason to believe this is anything more than a criminal act,"
Verderosa said.
Police arrested Dawson in October after they said he interrupted a
House of Representatives session, shouting he was a "Prophet of
God," the Washington Post reported. A judge ordered him to stay away
from the Capitol grounds, the newspaper said.
[to top of second column] |
A U.S. government official said no evidence had materialized of a
connection to terrorism.
On a day when the Senate and House of Representatives were not
working and few lawmakers were in Washington, the Capitol building
was briefly locked down, but then reopened for official business.
The Capitol Visitor Center is used chiefly by tourists.
The U.S. Secret Service temporarily cleared tourists from an area
around the White House.
At about the same time as the Capitol shooting, a woman was arrested
at the White House Easter egg roll because she tried to move a
temporary security barrier, the Secret Service said. There was no
relation between the Capitol incident and the White House arrest, a
Secret Service official said.
More than 2 million people a year go through the Capitol Visitor
Center, Verderosa said. He said it would be open for business as
usual on Tuesday.
(Additonal reporting by Mark Hosenball, Susan Cornwell, Roberta
Rampton, Susan Heavey and Eric Beech; Editing by Grant McCool and
Peter Cooney)
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