Photo via Wikimedia Commons
A man shot himself Saturday afternoon on the steps of the US Capitol building in Washington, DC, and a suspicious package was found nearby, prompting police to swiftly lock down the surrounding area.Capitol Police said the shooter was wearing a blue backpack and had a sign taped to his hand. The nature of the sign and the man's identity have not yet been disclosed. "There are no indications at this point of terrorism," an official told NBC News.Emergency vehicles, a bomb squad, and the Secret Service quickly rushed to the scene and blocked off the area surrounding the Capitol building, including parts of Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House.The lockdown was lifted shortly before 4pm after being in place for slightly more than two hours. Police said that the building's west front remains closed until further notice.
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Capitol Police confirmed that shots were fired on the west side of the building, and that the situation had been "neutralized," although they did not elaborate on what that meant. Kimberly Schneider, a spokeswoman for the Capitol Police, also said they found a suspicious package at the site of the shooting, and that the lockdown was a "precautionary measure."The incident took place during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which draws thousands of tourists annually to DC. No one was allowed in or out of the Capitol building or the surrounding area, and people inside the building were reportedly given a "shelter in place" warning.Follow Olivia Becker on Twitter: @obecker928US Capitol Police: Confirmed: self-inflicted gunshot by neutralized subject. Multiple law enforcement/emergency response — Darcy Spencer (@darcyspencer)April 11, 2015