A man killed himself early Sunday after driving into a barricade near the US Congress building in Washington and shooting several times in the air without causing injuries, Capitol police said .
“Shortly after 4:00 a.m., a man drove his car into an anti-vehicle barricade located on East Capitol Street and Second Street,” just behind the U.S. Supreme Court and a stone’s throw from the Capitol, according to a statement from Capitol Police Sunday morning.
The car caught fire and the man got out, before starting to shoot in the air. Hearing the gunshots, the police moved towards the man, but he then killed himself by turning his gun on himself.
“No one else was injured,” the statement said.
An investigation will be conducted into the background of the man in question, who has not been identified.
He has two addresses, one in Delaware and the other in Pennsylvania, only clarified the police chief of the capitol, Tom Manger, during a press conference on Sunday.
“We have no information” on the reason for his gesture for the moment, said Mr. Manger.
The man did not appear to be targeting members of Congress, who are currently on leave, Capitol Police said in their statement.
This building has been under heavy protection since the attack on January 6, 2021 by supporters of Donald Trump protesting against the results of the presidential election. The same is true of the Supreme Court, particularly since its decision revoking the constitutional right to abortion.
In April 2021, a man drove his car into Capitol police officers, killing one officer and injuring another, before being shot.