Obviously, anytime there are reports of [tag]gunfire[/tag] in or around Congress, there’s reason to be concerned. Given what we know now, however, this morning’s incident was, fortunately, not a big deal.
[tag]Capitol Police[/tag] said Friday they were investigating reports of sounds of gunfire in the garage of the Rayburn Office Building, where members of the House have their offices.
Law enforcement expert Mike Brooks said he had not heard any reports of victims or physical evidence of gunfire.
There’s a lot of activity — police, FBI, ambulances, etc. — but this appears to be largely precautionary. The Capitol Police received one phone call at 10:30 from someone reporting possible [tag]gun shots[/tag], which prompted a full-scale search. There have been no reported injuries.
The [tag]Rayburn[/tag] [tag]House[/tag] Office Building, one of the three buildings along the south side of the Capitol, has been locked down. Hill staffers have been asked to stay in their offices, but the [tag]Capitol[/tag] building remains open, and [tag]Senate[/tag] has not been interrupted.
It’s also worth noting that the Capitol Police have a [tag]firing range[/tag] in the garage levels of the Rayburn building, though the sounds reportedly came from a different level.
At this point, everything appears to be under control. I contacted a few people I know, and one Capitol Hill aide told me, “This is typical. The Capitol Police are like the cops on the Simpsons and we have bunch of Kent Brockman TV media types cheering on their incompetence.”
Once Hill staffers are comfortable making Simpsons jokes, I think it’s safe to say the crisis has passed.