Man Fatally Shoots Himself Near U.S. Capitol; Lockdown Lifted

The Capitol Building was locked down earlier on Saturday.

ByABC News
April 11, 2015, 10:42 PM

— -- A man shot and killed himself near the U.S. Capitol Building today, police said, prompting the building to be put on a temporary lockdown as staff members were told to shelter in place.

The man shot himself around 1 p.m. near the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Building, according to police. He was wearing a blue backpack and had a sign taped to his hand, and there was also a suitcase nearby, law enforcement sources told ABC News.

Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine said the sign said something about social justice, but he did not reveal the exact language.

Bomb technicians checked the suitcase and the backpack, clearing the area, and by late afternoon had reopened the area.

Police said they were not yet releasing the name of the man, but said the incident is not terrorism-related.

Although the man shot himself, the Capitol was locked down as a precautionary measure, Sgt. Kimberly Schneider of the U.S. Capitol police said. The lockdown ended just before 4 p.m., Schneider confirmed, and the building reopened.

No other injuries were reported.

No shots were fired by any law enforcement agency, according to police.

The Metropolitan Police Department in D.C. is investigating the death, police said. The FBI, U.S. Park Police and Secret Service are also at the scene.

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