WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Capitol was briefly locked down Friday morning after reports that a woman with a gun was attempting to enter the building. It turned out to be a false alarm.
The all-clear was given within an hour, shortly before 10 a.m. Normal operations quickly resumed at the Capitol, with visitors let inside and the House preparing to come back into session and vote.
In a statement, the U.S. Capitol Police Board said that an item in the backpack of an employee required “further investigation” at the tunnel checkpoint between the Rayburn House Office Building and the U.S. Capitol. The lockdown was ordered as a precaution.
The item was deemed to pose no threat to security and the lockdown was lifted, Capitol Police said.
Capitol Police officers and Sergeant at Arms officials had said they were searching for a woman in an office building tunnel leading to the Capitol. One officer said she had something that looked like a gun in her bag.
But the Sergeant at Arms later informed House leadership staff that it had been a false alarm.
The House met briefly and immediately recessed. Voting scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m. is postponed, gallery staff said.
In March, Capitol Police shot a 66-year-old Tennessee man who drew a BB gun inside the security checkpoint at the Capitol Visitor Center. Larry Dawson survived his injuries and faces two federal charges of assault.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein and Amanda Iacone contributed to this report.
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