Posted by: ST on May 26, 2006 at 11:18 am
The AP is reporting:
Police sealed off part of the Capitol complex on Friday amid reports that shots were fired in the garage of a House office building.
Capitol police were investigating “the sound of gunfire in the garage level of the Rayburn House Office Building,” said an announcement on the internal Capitol voice alarm system.
Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., conducting a House Intelligence Committee hearing, interrupted a witness to request those attending the meeting to remain in the room and said the doors must be closed.
“It’s a little unsettling to get a Blackberry message put in front of you that says there’s gunfire in the building,” he said.
Jeff Connor, a spokesman for Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., said Capitol Hill police notified the office that gunfire was heard in the Rayburn building garage.
“They specifically said there was the sound of gunfire on one of the garage levels of the Rayburn House office building and asked staff to remain in their offices,” Connor said.
While the House was adjourned for the Memorial Day weekend, at least one committee was meeting.
At the same time, Capitol police went room to room in at least parts of the Capitol advising staff to stay in their offices, according one House aide whose office was advised.
“They want us to stay in our offices and I’m perfectly happy to do that but I don’t feel endangered,” said Gene Smith, chief of staff to Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., who has an office in Rayburn.
“They said they heard gunfire in the Rayburn garage but this is a huge building, I’m guessing it’s a car backfiring or balloons popping.”
This news story from Reuters has a quote from the Senate Sergeant at Arms saying that there were reports of a smoke smell in the lobby of the Rayburn building.
That Blackberry message that Rep. Hoekstra was talking about (via Drudge):
Blackberry message: This is a message from the U.S. Capitol Police
1. If you are in the Rayburn HOB then Shelter in Place. Quickly move into the nearest interior office space or interior hallway and away from windows. The Capitol Police are investigating reports of gunfire in the Rayburn HOB.
2. If nearby, grab Go-Kits and personal belongings.
3. Close doors behind you, but do not lock.
4. Remain calm.
5. Await further instructions. Do not leave the building.
Let’s hope no one was hurt and that this is a false alarm.
Check the comments section here for updates on this story.
PM Update 9:25 ET: Thanks to Bang, forest, and everyone else who provided updates on this story. I was neck deep in paperwork today and didn’t have much time to blog. Now, I’m watching the Hurricanes-Sabres game.
For the full story on the ‘gun shot’ false alarm, see the Washington Post write up:
The Rayburn House Office Building was locked down for more than four hours today after a New Jersey congressman reported hearing the sound of gunfire in the building’s garage.
The noise apparently came from construction work being done in the building, Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider said.
“There were some workers . . . in the area of the Rayburn garage, in the elevator area, and in doing their routine duties they made some sort of a noise that sounded like shots fired,” Schneider said.
She said that while the police investigation is continuing, the construction work is a “plausible explanation” for the noise that also briefly closed the Capitol building and locked down D.C. public schools.
This was originally posted by Bang in another thread. Moving it here. –ST
Breaking news *****
- Capital police, Ambulances, and the Anti-Terror task force people have been called to the Rayburn building in the Capital comples, after gunshots were heard ealier this morning. the enrtire Rayburn building complex has been “locked down”…. More news momentarily….
- Bang
- FOX is showing live feeds from inside the garage, with crowds of people moving through the complex, and lots of guys in blue flak jackets, sporting hi-powered rifles…..
- Bang
- Capital police officials have announced a scheduled news confrence for 12 noon EST….
- Bang
Thanks for the updates, Bang – I wish I had a TV here where I am that I could check all this out on!
- Where are you?…. *chuckle*… Anyway hopefully the news conference will have more up to date information….the first improptu one they held 20 minutes ago, the Capital police Rep was laughing and asking if the people on the scene coould give HIM any information…
- Bang
Anyone take a head count of who is walking around getting TV face time? Any of the usual camera hounds missing?
- They’re all safely locked in their offices PCD. The people walking around are hundreds of photographers and reporters. Even some of the reporters are locked in the building cafeteria, so they can see very little.
- Bang
Where is McKinney?
- FOX is now reporting that two women had emerged from the excersize gym locker room who claimed there was a man inside the gym with a gun. Some emegency medical team people were scene entering that section of the building. The Rayburn building has been locked down again, after earlier being released.
- The spokesman is saying they have no firm information. No reports of injuries. They are presently responding and investigating the original reports of shots fired, and are searching the entire building at present. they are handling it as a “serious situation” until the facts can be established. All personel are being held in their offices as a precaution. Ambulances and medical personel are on the scene just to be available if any victims are located. Several law enforcement agencies are involved with the investigation. All tourists in the 5 block vacinity around the Rayburn building have been evacuated. The call reporting shots fired came in at 10:30 AM which is what they are responding too. Thats basically all they have for now.
- Bang
In a confrontation between Hastert and the Justice Department there was gunfire.
OK..too much fun.
- The spokesperson said they would hold another update news conference in about an hour at 1:30 pm EST…
- Bang
Where’s Dick Cheney?
- Update *****
- FOX is now giving more details on the report of the two women as mentioned earlier. They said that they had seen a man inside the gym hiding with a gun. they described the suspect as about 5’10, white, and sandy haired. Live feeds just showed a number of swat people arming up with body armor and hi-powered weapons and assembling near the rear of the building entrance…. developing….
- Bang
- Coming on the heels of the situation in the Capital area, the AP is reporting that France, on hearing the news, has raised its homeland defense terror alert level, from “run and hide” to “surrender”….
- Bang
Bang,
I thought the next level was, “Crap your pants”.
- Maybe you’re right PCD… its kind of confusing ….I thought that level was between “surrender” and “beg for mercy”…
- No new updates as of now. One person was evacted by ambulance suffereing from “anxiety”, but no other new info as of now, awaiting upcoming news conference.
- Bang
Bang, Thanks for keeping us updated!
- One irony. Even whilke all of this has been going on, hearings in several conference rooms continued. One hearing is on the recent “news leaks” of national secrets concerning the News sources. People testifying were thanked for appearing before the committee, and then told they could not leave the hearing room. Capital police are searching the Rayburn building, top to bottom, which is a huge task that could take some time.
- Bang
- One reporter in the Cafeteria has said that the swat team members patroling the halls have forcedbly kept staffers from the various offices from leaving the safety of their rooms, one policeman saying … “I don’t care if you have to use the waste baskets, stay inside.”
- The person taken out is reported tyo ba a Representatives staffer of David Hayward, overcome by anxiety, as reported earlier. Thats all the info currently available. The building is still totally locked down, and all tourists and traffic deverted around the scene, as the investigation and search continues.
- Bang
- Hayworth that is…
- Well it looks like things are quieting down a bit. Only injuries so far is the anxiety lady, and a policeman that twisted an ankle stepping on a curb edge. Hell of a way to start a long weekend. Probably a lot of bitching among staffers that had planned on leaving early today….*chuckle*
- Next news conference scheduled momentaritly….
- Bang
- UPDATE ****
- As of now the search of the Rayburn complex continues. Some staffers are being escorted to safty, now that parts of the building have been secured. So far no suspects have been located or victims found, and things seem to be calming down…. no other new information was forth coming from the Police spokesperson….
- Bang
If no person with gun is found or a gun found, the two women who reported the man with a gun ought to be examined thoroughly. This is a serious offense to falsely report a crime.
If they have an agenda, like being anti-gun nuts, they and the groups they front should be prosecuted and severely admonished through the MSM.
If they are mentally ill, then involuntary time in the proper mental facility is required.
- Or it might just turn out to be that they were scared by an old pair of Kennedrunks tennis shoes….
- Bang
FINAL UPDATE ****
- The Capital police spokeperson has said that the building has been reopened and business returned to normal after completing a thourough search, inluding canines. Capital police say the investigation is ongoing, but at the moment they feel that construction work going on at the time was the cause of the “noises” that were mistaken for gun shots. Nothing has been found to support the earlier reports of an armed gunman. Traffic in the area is back to normal and tourists are starting to filter back into the complex, as law makers offices return to normal operation. So for now it appears there was never any real danger, and its now back to normal. Of course except for the mob scenes around the various bathrooms I would think.
- Bang
Now they’re saying that the sound heard, was similar to gunfire and inthe general area of the construction crew onsite.
There are tools that basically shoot studs into concrete that are in essence a 22cal. charge. Many uses and handy tool indeed, but they should have already questioned the crews in the five hours preceding. Not to mention that if in fact they did use such a tool, they would’ve/shold’ve had clearance, ergo foreknowledge by the CP.
- Really big studs require Dirty Harry .375 Magnums….
- Bang
Bang- 375? Isn’t that a beer?
Bang- 375? Isn’t that a beer?
Dyslexics of the world, UNTIE!
Sev, are you the one that sent that billboard list to me?
Since Dirty Harry has ‘em on the run with his magnumb, can we hijack this thread into a friday flogging event Sis?
Which list? I don’t think so forest hunter.
It was the “billboards you’ll never see” list. Some of them pretty clever. Dislexics untie was among them. Sad part is, I didn’t think that one was funny…..at first.
I thought that one was funny the frist time I saw it!
I wasn’t the one that sent it, but it sounds like a good list.
***THREAD HIJACK IN PROGRESS***
If I heard right, Dean is blaming you know who, for the Ken and Jeffrey antics. I guess it doesn’t matter that Bush wasn’t in office at that time, but Monica was. Lay is no longer a potato chip or whitehouse activity unless you got the Skilling doin’ the willing.
I can’t find a round yellow dude that does lame, so improvise
“Bang- 375? Isn’t that a beer?”
- Watch it Forest….I carry a very large Nug….
- Gnab
Hopefully, you still tog tow ganb!
Sev, one of the other billboards was sponsored by Ritalin. “It’s so much easier than parenting” I think was the phrase.
- Sign in Baltimore Train station:
“Rear rest rooms – Aisle 8″
- Gnab
- Add for puppies in the LA Times:
- 2 month old St. Bernard puppies available. All shots and papers. Some nuetered. Others still ready if you want to breed. -
- Gnab
“If drinking and driving is illegal, then why do bars have parking lots”(as a requirement for a building permit?).
Gnab, It seems odd that some were neutered and others not. Did they run out of money or just “do the ugly ones”?
Bang, I moved this to the Thursday open thread (the one about the “Hooters” calendar).
To all: if I don’t post an open thread for each day please use the previous day’s open thread for off topic discussion. Thanks
–ST
Wakari Mashita! Gomenasai!