[chaim]

MSNBC is reporting that there is a "lone gunman" in the Cannon House Office Building. All staffers have been ordered to keep thir doors locked and a staffer they are currently interviewing says that the building may be evacuated. I hope all goes well and no one is hurt. This may not bode well for upcoming "gun control" legislation.

Unfortunately, it is too new. I can't find anything in print on the net yet.

[TonyB]

Why do I think all of the people who work there are wishing they had a gun right now??

[Mark Tyson]

They should call for better site security rather than more unconsititutional controls.

"Armed gunman": isn't that a redundancy? An gunman is by definition armed.

[DorGunR]

Doesn't this guy know that it's not legal to be armed in DC????:rolleyes:

[Teufelhunden]

CNN is running a ticker on the bottom saying that he ran through a security checkpoint, 'apparently' with a gun. One would have hoped that the Capitol Police would be able to definitively identify whether or not the item someone was holding was a firearm...

-Teuf

Edit: 3 mins later: Now the news is saying his backpack contained a revolver as evidenced by the image on the X-Ray machine and that he grabbed his bag and took off into the building...

[Balog]

At least it was a revolver and not an "assault weapon." Unless it was one of those eeeeeevvviillllll assault revolvers!:uhoh:

[gruven]

CNN just said it's actually a white female.

[Sean Cloherty]

Just what the anti's need to ban revolvers since they can't be stopped at security checkpoints.:rolleyes:

[Airboss]

Perhaps the congress critters and their staffers might learn the futility of depending on "security"and "laws"to keep yourself safe.Just wondering how much I could sell a 870 and a box of number four buck for, now to someone in the House office building?

[Keith]

A police spokesman has just announced that though they had earlier reported the man was carrying a ".38", they have now identified the weapon as a "revolver" rather than the previously reported .38...

Keith

[chaim]

Why do I think all of the people who work there are wishing they had a gun right now??Very true. If our side played our cards right maybe this could end up in increased support of a national CCW or relaxed gun laws. Wait, that would be too rational, never happen.
They should call for better site security rather than more unconsititutional controls.I agree but I would expect that we'll probably see both
"Armed gunman": isn't that a redundancy? An gunman is by definition armed.


True, I was only using the same language the news was (in fact while typing it I thought the same thing).



Oh, on Yahoo I finally found the first online article:

Gun Scare Closes House Office Building
3 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The House recessed Thursday after police closed down its nearby Cannon office building when an armed man ran through a police security checkpoint.

"Someone with a gun made an unauthorized entrance into the Cannon Office Building," said Jessica Gissubel, spokeswoman for the U.S. Capitol Police. "They aren't letting anybody in or out" of the building, said Andrew Souvall, spokesman for Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., whose office is in Cannon building. He added that Pallone's staff chose to close its door, though it was not ordered to do so. Howard Bauleke, chief of staff to Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan. Bauleke said the Capitol police came in and said they were looking for a man carrying a backpack.

Meanwhile, authorities closed roads and a bus stop near the Pentagon ( - ) Thursday while they investigated a suspicious truck parked nearby, a Pentagon spokesman said. Police noticed the "U-Haul-type" truck parked under an Interstate 395 overpass at about 12:45 p.m., said Pentagon spokesman Glenn Flood. The truck is on South Rotary Road near the Pentagon's south parking lot, Flood said. Metro subway trains were passing through the Pentagon station without stopping, and the nearby bus stop also was closed.

[Tamara]

Now the news is saying his backpack contained a revolver as evidenced by the image on the X-Ray machine and that he grabbed his bag and took off into the building...

CNN just said it's actually a white female.

Maybe it's DiFi running late for a meeting... :uhoh:

[HankB]

Well, DiFi did have a license to carry a handgun in CA . . . maybe she thinks it's vaild in DC?

Or it could be another one of Ted Kennedy's bodyguards carrying unauthorized weapons, as happened once before . ..

[chaim]

CNN just said it's actually a white female.

Seconds ago a Capitol Police spokeswoman just finished an impromptu news conference and they are still saying a white man. Where CNN may have become confused is that they are no longer saying a "lone gunman" but now they are looking for that man and a woman. Also, a former FBI official was saying that they would probably be closing other buildings and checking them in case he wasn't working alone (and if a woman is being seeked now apparently he isn't) and in case he is part of some kind of conspiracy.

Oh, in my previous post I left out the link to the Yahoo news article:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=512&e=4&u=/ap/20031030/ap_on_go_co/congress_intruder

[teppo-shu]

Meanwhile, back in the REAL WORLD, millions of Americans are walking around ARMED, RIGHT NOW!!! Authorities are not sure how this tremendous breach of security happened, nor of whether this is a real threat, or just a misunderstanding.

:banghead: [/sarcasm off]

All kidding aside, this should be just about the last nail in the coffin in shutting out the people from "their" government altogether. Ridiculous.

[Smurfslayer]

to the CDC report on the ineffectiveness of Gun Control...:evil:

[Keith]

Well, we can only hope it's a staffer for some prominent anti-gun congressmen.

Keith

[Sportcat]

Just read on CNN they are looking for a MAN and WOMAN

[teppo-shu]

Fox news is saying that people are being "allowed" to leave the building "if they consent" to "administrative" bodily and briefcase searches.:what: :what: :what:

Where is this complete and utter f:cuss: ing nonsense going to end???:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[Keith]

Two suspects in custody with a toy gun....

Keith

[Sven]

Of course, the Yahoo discussion thread already has multile NRA-bashing, leftist comments:

http://post.news.messages.yahoo.com/bbs?.mm=NEWS&action=l&ft=1&board=37138445&sid=37138445&title=U.S.%20Capitol%20Office%20Building%20Evacuated%20on%20Gun%20Report&tid=nmcongressgundc&date=10-30-2003&url=story.news.yahoo.com%2Fnews%3Ftmpl%3Dstory%26u%3D%2Fnm%2F20031030%2Fts_nm%2Fcongress_gun_dc_1&.sig=lTMSiiwyMN_tmonbzkpJtw--

[teppo-shu]

Fox: "Two suspects now in custody with a 'toy' gun".

:neener: :rolleyes:

[chaim]

Keith, I assume you are joking. If not, where did you get that info? Cable news isn't reporting that, Yahoo isn't reporting that, and the local (DC- WTOP) radio news station isn't reporting that.

[Keith]

"Undisclosed Sources" report two in custody. It must be true because the "all clear" has been sounded and everyone is returning to the building.

Keith

[chaim]

Keith, I guess you were ahead of me. WTOP is reporting the situation to be over without details. The local (DC) NBC TV affiliate is reporting that it was a woman's Halloween costume that caused the fuss.:banghead:

[Schuey2002]

It was a TOY gun!!!!!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Keith]

More important than FOX being ahead of the other networks, is that Kirin Chetry is looking especially fetching in a black outfit today. Even bad news would be a pleasure!

Keith

[dinosaur]

Capitol Police: "Gun Was a Plastic Revolver" Fox News.

[Schuey2002]

I can just imagine the crap that will be coming out of the next Chucky Schumer/FineSwine press conference declaring...

"We must ban ALL toy guns... it's for the CHILDREN!!"

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[cuchulainn]

So much for plastic guns being able to get past X-ray machines :scrutiny: :rolleyes:

[gun-fucious]

> BREAKING NEWS

Two people who caused a security lockdown at a U.S. House
office building had a toy gun, according to House Majority
Leader Tom DeLay's office.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/10/30/canon.building/index.html

Two held after security breach at House
offices

Thursday, October 30, 2003 Posted: 2:54 PM EST (1954 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) --
Two people were in
custody Thursday
afternoon after allegedly
running through a security
checkpoint at the House
Cannon Office Building,
U.S. Capitol Police told
CNN Radio.

Police searched for a man and a woman after
they breached security with what police
believed was a .38-caliber revolver, a police
spokeswoman said.

The building was locked down, and a SWAT
team conducted a room-by-room search for the
suspects. People leaving the building, near the
Capitol, were searched, said police
spokeswoman Jessica Gissubel.

The Capitol itself was not evacuated, but the
House went into recess 40 minutes after the
incident.

The incident happened shortly after 1 p.m.
when an image that appeared to be a revolver
was detected at an X-ray machine at the
building's southeast entrance, Gissubel said.
The man grabbed the backpack and went
through the crowded checkpoint, triggering a
security alert.

After reviewing the image, police now believe a
.38-caliber revolver was in the backpack, she
said.

The man was described as white, 5 feet 3
inches and 140 pounds, with brown hair. He
was wearing a black suit with a white shirt and
carrying a black-and-gray backpack.

The woman was described as 5 feet 5 inches,
20 to 25 years old, wearing a pink shirt and
khaki pants with long brown hair over her
shoulder.

The Cannon building is one of three House
office buildings. The buildings are connected
by tunnels, and police were taking precautions
to prevent the suspects from going to the other
buildings.

[chaim]

So much for plastic guns being able to get past X-ray machines Very good point. Hopefully some of our pro-2nd Amendment Congressmen and Senators grasp that point as well in the upcoming fight over Kennedy's proposal to ban "plastic guns".

[gruven]

I just heard that CNN is saying they didn't "run from the checkpoint", they simply grabbed the bag and walked away because no one told them there was a problem. :rolleyes:

[Hkmp5sd]

DiFi did have a license to carry a handgun in CA . . . maybe she thinks it's vaild in DC?
She's probably one of numerous cronies Clinton made a "US Marshal" so they could carry in DC or anywhere else.

[Keith]

The capitol police and security people totally blew it.

The man originally identified had nothing to do with it. He merely passed through ahead of two women, one of whom had a toy gun in her bag. The women were allowed to pass - they didn't "run away" as originally reported - and the dummy at the desk noticed the gun in the x-ray picture after they left and blew the whistle assuming it was the man who had the gun.
It was only later when police reviewed the tapes that they determined it was the woman following him that had the "gun" and changed the description of the wanted person. Or didn't change it, just added a new "suspect".
When the woman heard the new description for a female, she simply approached the nearest cop and apologetically explained that she thought she may have caused the problem since she did have a toy gun in her bag - part of a costume.

The police spokesman said the security people performed "within standards" and did a fine job. Yeah...

Keith

[TallPine]

What a disappointment - I thought maybe it was Neo and Trinity blowing past the checkpoint. :D


And in a related story ... President Bush signs an executive order banning the celebration of Halloween.

[Sergeant Bob]

The police spokesman said the security people performed "within standards" and did a fine job. Yeah...
Yeah, just saw the Capitol Chief of Police on Fox. He was telling everyone what a fine job they did not catching the suspects!

In related news: A 14 year old boy was suspended from school for drawing stick figures with guns.

[Sportcat]

Wasn't a 9-year-old boy drawn on because of a toy gun?

[outfieldjack]

I guess toy guns carried by women are dangerous, but toy guns carried by nine-year-olds should automatically be considered "safe".... I know I know.... that thread is now closed....

Glad everyone is ok though...

Jack

[Daniel T]

I guess toy guns carried by women are dangerous, but toy guns carried by nine-year-olds should automatically be considered "safe"....

You're the only person that's said that. Hmm.

[mete]

Yes it was a toy gun , part of a holloween costume !

[greyhound]

they are still saying a white man

Oh, so THAT'S where Chief Moose went, over to the Capital Police...:rolleyes:

[USAFA]

The police spokesman said the security people performed "within standards" and did a fine job.
I don't even know where to start. I'm a medical x-ray technican by training, the thought of mistaking a plastic toy gun for a real one is ludicrous. First of all the shape would be nothing similar under x-ray. Second the densities wouldn't be close, metal under x-ray lights up like noon, plastic shows only as a shadow. If the readers performed "within standards" then those standards are pathetic.

[garrettwc]

Yeah, just saw the Capitol Chief of Police on Fox. He was telling everyone what a fine job they did not catching the suspects!

In related news: A 14 year old boy was suspended from school for drawing stick figures with guns.

Sergeant Bob, the same thought crossed my mind. This girl breached capitol security and caused a lockdown and SWAT deployment. Walks up to nearest cop "silly me it's only a costume gun" and everyone is patting themselves on the back and laughing.

If a kid points his finger at someone he gets expelled and his parents get investigated by social services. :banghead:

[Don Gwinn]

Local news now says the two were Shimkus aides.
(John Shimkus is my Congressman.)
:rolleyes:

[BluesBear]

As mpayne said in another post;
I hereby declare the "fifth rule" of gun safety -- every gun is a real gun, until proven otherwise!

Works for me.

[shfttrsh]

USAFA- - -The X-ray machines used at security checkpoints are different than medical X-rays. The image is not as clear and the objects are mixed in with all the other things in the bag, purse or whatever. The image is generally lines and shadings of black and gray. At a busy checkpoint there will, more than likely, be items overlapping on the belt which is moving all the time. The operator is watching the screen(as they should)has a second to make a detrimination and he/she does not know who put what on the belt. I could go on but you get the idea. The job is not as easy as one would think.