The U.S. Capitol Police have increased security on Capitol Hill following a shooting just across the river in Alexandria, Virginia, that wounded lawmakers and staffers who were practicing for their annual charity baseball game.
“Out of an abundance of caution,” the Capitol Police wrote in an email alert, “the USCP has deployed a robust police presence throughout the Capitol Complex,” which includes the House and Senate office buildings and the visitor’s center. “However, all building within the Complex are open in accordance with routine operations.”
Senate staff confirmed to TPM that the entire east front of the Capitol has been shut down until further notice, with no one allowed to enter or exit through the stately carriage doors. Instead, everyone is being routed through the office buildings, which are connected to the Capitol by underground tunnels. Some were overheard grumbling about the inconvenience, calling it an “overreaction” and wondering aloud how it made the place any safer.
All House votes and several congressional events—including a press conference by Democrats filing a lawsuit against President Trump for accepting foreign payments—have been canceled in the wake of the shooting. Among those canceled: a scheduled hearing on a bill to deregulate gun silencers.
Yet the atmosphere seemed almost normal Wednesday morning as hundreds of staffers, journalists, and tourists arrived on Capitol Hill. A few more Capitol Police officers on bicycles perched on the corners around the busiest entrances, and officers checked IDs both inside and outside the building. Normally, IDs are only checked as people go through security inside the building. Capitol Police officers seemed relaxed and in good spirits despite the morning’s incident, in which officers as well as members of Congress were reportedly shot.
