Man who fatally shot himself near Capitol identified as 29-year-old from Delaware

The man who killed himself after driving his car into a Capitol barricade on Sunday has been identified as 29-year-old Richard A. York III of Delaware, according to U.S. Capitol Police.

According to police, it doesn’t appear that York was targeting any lawmaker, and the latest update notes it’s still not clear why he drove to the Capitol. Both the House and Senate are currently in recess.

Investigators are now looking into York’s background.

Authorities have shared that York had a criminal record, but no obvious link to the Capitol and no political ideology have yet been learned that might indicate York’s motivation.

Around 4 a.m. Sunday, York drove his car into a vehicle barricade at East Capitol Street and Second Street, according to police. The car went up in flames as he exited with a weapon, which he then fired into the air a number of times.

Officers responded to the shots — though they reportedly didn’t fire any of their own — and York turned the weapon on himself as they approached, fatally shooting himself. No other injuries were reported. 

Officers say they did not hear York say anything before he was killed.

Capitol Police initially withheld York’s name but shared it once his family had been notified, according to the release.

The Capitol incident follows one just days earlier, when a man was killed by police after attempting to breach the FBI field office in Cincinnati. He fled the scene in a vehicle and was fatally shot in a gunfire exchange with police after a long standoff.