People evacuating the Senate buildings.Getty
The Capitol Police has evacuated this Wednesday one of the office buildings of the Senate of the United States after receiving a telephone alert about a possible active shooter in the area, which eventually It turned out to be a false alarm.
“Our agents are searching both inside and around the Senate office buildings,” the Capitol Police first reported in a brief message on Twitter.
At that time the confusion was maximum. Numerous workers were walking out of the Senate buildings with their hands up.
Specific, the Russell Building was evacuated and agents cut off access to the underground tunnels. In addition, the Police asked whoever was inside the Senate to take cover from possible shots.
Our officers are searching in and around the Senate Office Buildings in response to a concerning 911 call. Please stay away from the area as we are still investigating. We will continue to communicate with the public here. pic.twitter.com/vqCY0I7u8m
— The U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) August 2, 2023
Subsequently, the Capitol Police Chief, Thomas Manger confirmed that “nothing worrying” was found during the operation. “There is no one who has actually heard shots and there is certainly no victim,” he has settled.
Previously, congressional workers had received a message with safety instructions before him, such as avoiding windows, closing doors or seeking shelter, as reported by NBC News.
The false alarm comes at a tense moment after former President Donald Trump was indicted by a grand jury in Washington for four federal charges in the framework of the investigation opened against him for trying to revoke the result of the 2020 elections, in which Joe Biden won the victory and preceded the assault on the Capitol in January 2021.