U.S. Capitol, White House Briefly Placed On Lockdown After Shooting
(CBS) -- The U.S. Capitol and the White House were placed on lock down on Monday afternoon after gunfire at the Capitol's visitor's center.
Capitol Police Chief Matthew Verderosa said the suspect was shot after he pulled a gun and aimed it at a screen inside the center.
He said it appears to be a "criminal act" by a lone individual--not an act of terrorism. The suspect was undergoing surgery on Monday afternoon. The man was known to police after unspecified prior incidents, Verderosa said.
The suspect has been identified as 66-year-old Larry Dawson of Tennessee, law enforcement sources told CBS.
His condition is unknown at this time. It is unknown how many shots were fired.
Verderosa said a bystander was slightly injured.
He expected the Capitol to be open to tourists on Tuesday.
Initial reports said a police officer sustained minor injuries, but later reports from Capitol officials indicated there was no injury to any law enforcement officers.
CBS News obtained video of scene, which was posted on Twitter.
U.S. Capitol Police locked down the entire Capitol complex in Washington after the incident. Shortly thereafter, Washington D.C. police said there was no immediate threat to the public.
An advisory was sent out to staffers warning that no one will be allowed to enter or exit any buildings.
The White House has also been locked down, according to CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.
That lock down was lifted around 2:30 p.m.
Congress is currently in recess.
Cathryn Leff of Temicula, California, in town to lobby with the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, said she was going through security at the main entrance to the Capitol Visitors Center when police told people to leave immediately.
Outside, on the plaza just to the east of the Capitol, other officers told those there to "get down behind this wall," she told the AP. "I heard what sounded like two shots off to my left." After a while police told her and others to keep running. "I felt like I was in a movie. It didn't feel real at all."
