WASHINGTON — A man who authorities said took out a gun and pointed it at officers as he tried to enter the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center on Monday was shot by police, prompting a scramble by law enforcement amid heightened security after attacks in Brussels and Paris.
Authorities think the wounded suspect is Larry Russell Dawson, a minister from Tennessee, according to law enforcement officials. Dawson, 66, was arrested in October after he allegedly disrupted Congress by shouting that he was a “prophet of God.”
Police said the man walked into the visitor center about 2:40 p.m. and was going through security screening when at least one officer opened fire. In the chaotic moments that followed, loudspeaker alerts warned tourists about a gunman in the center, and officers yelled at people to get down.
Police swarmed the Capitol grounds and put the Capitol building and, briefly, the White House under lockdown.
Two hours later, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Matthew Verderosa calmed nerves by saying that investigators “believe this is an act of a single person who has frequented the Capitol grounds before. There is no reason to believe this is anything more than a criminal act.”
Monday night, police said Dawson had been charged with assault with a deadly weapon and assault on a police officer while armed. They said he was in stable but critical condition. Two officials familiar with the case said Dawson was shot in the chest and thigh.
Verderosa said the security screening worked as intended. No officers were injured, but a female bystander between 35 and 45 years old suffered what appeared to be a minor injury and was taken to a hospital.
Congress is on recess and lawmakers are in their districts. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., issued a statement thanking Capitol Police, as did other congressional leaders.
