The incident occurred around 4 a.m. local time. The man first rammed into the barricades in front of the building and then got out of his car, which went up in flames, the Capitol Police said. The driver then fired several shots into the air.
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When emergency services approached the man, he shot himself. There were no further injuries. The identity of the man is unknown.
“At this point, it doesn’t appear that the man was targeting members of Congress who are on summer recess, and it doesn’t appear that officers fired any shots,” the statement said.
An investigation into the man’s background is currently underway, police said.