Man fatally shoots himself after crashing into Capitol barricade, authorities say

An unidentified man fatally shot himself after crashing a vehicle into a barricade near the U.S. Capitol early Sunday morning, authorities said.

The man drove his car into the barricade at East Capitol Street and Second Street around 4 a.m., U.S. Capitol Police said in a press release. The man exited the vehicle, which became engulfed in flames, officials said.

The man then fired several shots in the air, Capitol Police said, alerting officers to the scene. They were approaching the man when he fatally shot himself, authorities added.

No one else was hurt at the scene, and Capitol Police noted that it does not appear officers fired their weapons.

Authorities said that the man apparently was not targeting any members of Congress, who are on recess until Sept. 13.

Investigators are currently looking into his background, and Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department is handling the death investigation.

Later on Sunday, Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger held a news conference on the incident and declined to provide the name of the man, noting that his family had not yet been notified.

While Manger told reporters that the person had a criminal record for over the past “10 years or so,” he noted that there was no “information that would indicate his motivation” against the Capitol, adding that that the man has “no political ideology that we’re aware of at this point.”

Manger noted that officers “did not hear the individual say anything” during the incident.

The incident follows the attempted breach of the FBI field office in Cincinnati, which led to an hours-long standoff with a suspect, who was later killed by police.

The incident came after the FBI executed a search warrant at former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, sparking heated rhetoric from his supporters. Republicans have decried the search as a politically motivated stunt, with some calling for the FBI to be defunded.

“Law enforcement nationwide is on a higher alert due to the climate,” Manger said.

Updated 2:38 p.m.