CAPITOL police have rushed to evacuate Senate office buildings after a 911 call sparked active shooter fears.
Terrified staffers were seen rushing from the building with hands over their heads on Wednesday afternoon before cops confirmed there was no shooter threat.
A shelter-in-place order remained as armed officers combed through the building and hurried people from the building.
Capitol Police later said that there was no active shooter, according to ABC.
“A call came in for an active shooter. It appears to be a bad call. No injuries and no shooter were located," a source told ABC.
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Officials were "getting ready to clear the scene" with "nothing found," a DC fire department spokesman told the Washington Post at around 3.15pm.
“Please stay away from the area as we are still investigating,” Capitol Police wrote in a post on Twitter, at 2.45pm.
There was a large police presence in the basement of the Capitol, NBC posted at around 3pm.
Senate staffers were told to take emergency equipment and visitors to the nearest office, according to an email sent to staffers from Capitol Police, which was obtained by Spectrum News DC.
Staffers are meant to lock any external doors and windows and remain quiet, the email said.
No one was allowed to enter or exit the buildings unless given instructed by officials, according to authorities.
“It should be noted that we do not have any confirmed reports of gunshots,” Capitol Police said in a later tweet.
Russell Senate Office Building was evacuated, according to Politico.
Founder of Punchbowl News, Jake Sherman, posted a video on Twitter of people reportedly being evacuated from the Senate office buildings with their hands up.
The DC Fire and EMS Department told Fox that Russell Senate Office Building is likely experiencing a mental health situation rather than an active shooter.
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Staffers from the Dirksen Senate Office Building were also seen evacuating with their hands up, according to the Washington Post.
There are three Senate buildings in Washington, DC, known as the Russell Building, Dirksen Building, and Hart Building.
