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Police at the Capitol: A man's vehicle went up in flames at the site early in the morning
Photo: JIM LO SCALZO/EPA
A man drove his vehicle into a cordon near the US Capitol and then opened fire.
No one was injured in Sunday morning's incident, and the man eventually shot himself, Capitol Police said.
The man drove the car into the barrier around four in the morning and then got out – the vehicle then burst into flames.
He then fired several shots in the air.
When the police approached the scene of the crime, the man killed himself, it was said.
The man's motive was initially unclear.
At this time, Capitol Police say the man does not appear to have been targeting members of Congress.
These are currently on break.
According to initial findings, the police did not fire either.
An "unprecedented" number of threats
A temporary fence was erected around the Capitol after the building was stormed on January 6, 2021.
The fence has since been taken down.
CNN also reported over the weekend that there had been an "unprecedented" number of threats against FBI employees and property after the search of ex-President Donald Trump's home last Monday.
The FBI seized several top-secret documents during a search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Monday.
According to an FBI list, the agents also found Top Secret/SCI documents, which can only be viewed in special government facilities.
asa/dpa