Fear returns to Capitol Hill almost three months after the tragic assault on the seat of the American Congress that cost the lives of five people. A car crashed into one of the barriers placed to protect the area, overwhelming two agents of the Us Capitol Police. According to an initial reconstruction, the driver then got out of the vehicle brandishing a knife and was stopped by the policemen who opened fire, killing him.
The man, of whom nothing is yet known, had been transported to the hospital together with the two officers hit. One of these died after hospitalization, while the condition of the second is not yet known. Some law enforcement sources claim that one of the officers suffered a stab wound, hit by a blow from the attacker.
“The Capitol Hill incident, in which a police officer and suspect lost their lives, does not appear to have a terrorist matrix.” This is what was reported in the short press briefing by Yogananda Pittman, interim head of the Capitol Police and Robert Contee, interim head of the Metropolitan Police of Washington. The suspect was not previously known to the police force, according to reports in the brief press briefing by the leaders of the Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police of Washington.
Biden had left for the Easter break
The entire Capitol area has been put in lockdown as a precaution, even if the first indication is that it was an isolated episode, excluding the terrorist trail. All people within the area have been ordered to stay inside the buildings and stay away from entrance doors and windows. Even if in these hours the complex of the offices of the American Congress is almost deserted for the break of the Easter holidays, with all the activities that will resume in about ten days.
However, several staff were also present due to the presence in the Capitol area of an anti Covid vaccination site. A helicopter immediately intervened on the spot and from the TV images we can see how dozens of men of the rapid response team of the National Guard placed to protect the Capitol after the events of 6 January were immediately mobilized.
Not far from the north entrance of Capitol Hill, where the accident occurred, Marine One, the presidential helicopter, was preparing to take off from the White House lawn to take President Joe Biden and his family to the Camp residence. David, where the first family will spend Easter. The FBI men also arrived at the scene of the accident while the attacker’s blue car was carefully searched, but nothing has yet leaked about the motive that induced the attacker to act, that is, whether it is an act of terrorism or a deranged person.