Gunshots rang out near the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. Thursday afternoon, with police opening fire on a female suspect who rammed a security barrier and a patrol car in the midst of a pursuit.
Witnesses said they could hear shots from inside the Capitol around 2 p.m. The female suspect, driving a black sedan with a child in the car, raced off and crashed into a gate near the White House.
Approximately five shots were fired and multiple media reports indicated she was killed.
One police officer was hurt in the chase and reportedly admitted to the MedStar Washington Hospital Center. His injuries are not life threatening, according to WUSA 9 News in Washington.
The suspect, age 34, was driving a car with Connecticut license plates. The child in the vehicle, estimated to be between 2-3 years of age, was unharmed, according to NBC. Police are said to have not found a weapon in the car.
Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas) told the Assosicated Press he was briefed by the Department of Homeland Security. Upon being asked whether the suspect was armed he said, “I don’t think she was. There was no return fire.”
The suspect has a history of mental illness issues, according to WUSA. The chase began, CNN noted, when the woman fled an altercation with officers 12 blocks away from the final crash site.
“This appears to be an isolated incident,” said Capitol Police in a press briefing shortly after the incident.
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