While the man was getting out of the crashed car, it burst into flames shortly after 4 a.m. (0800 GMT) at East Capitol Street and Second Street, US Capitol Police said. Police said the man was identified as Richard A. York III of Delaware. “It is still unclear why he chose to drive into the Capitol Complex,” Capitol Police said in a statement. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Earlier, police said “it does not appear that the man was targeting any members of Congress, who are on recess, and it does not appear that the officers fired their weapons.” Police said the man then fired several shots into the air along East Capitol Street. As police responded and approached, the man shot himself, police said. No one else was injured. The death is being investigated by the Washington Metropolitan Police Department, which did not immediately release an identity or motive. There are security barricades around the heavily guarded Capitol Complex checkpoints. In April 2021, 25-year-old motorist Noah Green rammed a car into US Capitol Police while brandishing a knife, killing one officer and injuring another and forcing the Capitol complex into lockdown. Police shot and killed Green. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by David Shepardson. Edited by Lisa Shumaker and Aurora Ellis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
