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Scramble at Capitol after shots are fired, suspect in custody

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A suspect is in custody after a shooting incident on Monday at the Capitol complex that resulted in a lockdown of the area. 

“Capitol Police have confirmed that a suspect is in custody in connection with a shooting incident at the Capitol Visitors Center. Capitol Police are continuing to investigate,” the House Press Gallery said in an email.

{mosads}A shelter-in-place order for the Capitol has been lifted, though the Visitors Center remains closed, according to the Senate Periodical Press Gallery.

A Capitol Police officer told The Hill that the shooter is down and the situation is contained. The officer said one woman had been shot, but there have been conflicting reports about injuries.

Washington Metropolitan Police declared on Twitter that the incident was “isolated” and did not present an “active threat to the public.” 

Capitol Police issued a lockdown alert on Monday afternoon and warned all staffers to stay in place and seek cover if outside. 

“No one will be allowed to enter or exit any buildings,” an alert to House staffers said.

Police could be heard telling tourists to run away from the Capitol. Other staffers said they left the complex and ran outside when they couldn’t get back into their offices due to the shelter-in-place warning.

One family visiting Washington was outside the Supreme Court and told The Hill they heard someone shooting at the Capitol.

“We heard screams,” said a woman who declined to give her name.

One other woman claimed on Twitter that she was going through security in the Capitol Visitors Center when shots went off, creating a “scramble” for safety. 

Marium Baker was in the Senate chamber with her two children, ages 9 and 11, when the incident occurred. They were held on the balcony for roughly an hour, she said, following the order to “shelter in place.” Capitol police counted heads, escorted folks on bathroom breaks and provided updates with “what they could, what they knew.”

“They were very helpful, they were very kind,” said Baker, who was visiting from Illinois through Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D-Ill.) office. 

The White House also went into lockdown during the incident. Entrances to the White House were shut down and the north and south fence lines were cleared as a “precautionary measure,” according to Secret Service spokesman Robert Hoback. 

The lockdown, which was later lifted, occurred as thousands of children and guests were welcomed on to the White House’s South Lawn for the annual Easter egg roll.

Congress is in recess this week, but thousands of staffers are working in the Capitol. It is also a busy season for tourism, with the city’s famous cherry blossom trees in full bloom.

Updated at 4:19 p.m.

Jordain Carney, Tim Devaney, Scott Wong, Mike Lillis, Cristina Marcos and Jordan Fabian contributed.

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