Armed Man Dies By Suicide Outside U.S. Capitol After Crashing Car: Police
Authorities said a man fatally shot himself outside the U.S. Capitol early Sunday after crashing his car into a barricade and then firing a gun into the air. (Photo: Anna Rose Layden via Getty Images)
A man fatally shot himself outside the U.S. Capitol early Sunday after crashing his car into a barricade and opening fire as his car caught fire, police said.
The 29-year-old man, identified as Richard A. York III of Delaware, escaped his burning vehicle and fired several shots into the air just after 4 a.m. as officers hurried to the scene on the east side of the Capitol, U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement.
Officers were approaching the man when he shot himself. No one else was hurt, authorities said.
“At this time, it does not appear the man was targeting any Members of Congress, who are on recess, and it does not appear officers fired their weapons,” Capitol Police said.
By Sunday afternoon, it remained unclear why York drove to the Capitol Complex, authorities said in an updated statement.
The incident comes as law enforcement across the country have faced an increasing number of violent threats. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued an internal bulletin Friday stating that there has been a spike in threats to federal law enforcement since last week’s search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida home and resort, both CNN and CBS News reported.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
