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Cannon Office Building on Capitol Hill Evacuated
Aired October 30, 2003 - 13:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, we want to take you to the phones. Ted Barrett, one of our producers out of D.C. there, is telling us there is a search for an armed individual in the Cannon House office building there on the Hill.
What do you know, Ted?
TED BARRETT, CNN PRODUCER: Well, that's exactly right. It's a very unusual scene here, at the Cannon House office building, which are the offices for many members of the house, is being evacuated right now, because a gentleman who is being described as a white -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in blue jeans went through a metal detector, a weapon, a handgun, we're told, was spotted on the screen. When that was discovered, he grabbed the backpack and sprinted down the hall and around a corner. Many, many doors here in these long hallways, and the cops lost sight of him.
So they're now evacuated the building. They've sealed the tunnels to the other office buildings. They're all connected underneath of the ground. And now there is a SWAT team inside, going apparently room to room, looking for this suspected gunman.
PHILLIPS: So, Ted, at this point, we don't know anything about this man or what he may have been looking for? And at this point, do you know of anyone who has been injured?
BARRETT: No. There's no report of any injuries. And we know nothing more about the suspected gunman, other than what I just told you. There is still a lot of answers to get here. And it's just unfolding. I will certainly update you when we get more.
PHILLIPS: Ted, is it still being evacuated, one by one, or is pretty much everybody out at this point, do you know?
BARRETT: It's a little hard to tell. Only five minutes ago, they said they were not going to evacuate the building, but they were urging people to stay in their offices. And now we've got people streaming out, saying they were ordered to leave the building. So it's a little unclear.
I will tell you, it is a very calm situation here and we are right on the steps of the Cannon Building. Lots of members of Congress coming over to the press area right now to try to tell us what is going on.
But they've not shut down Independence Avenue. They have -- they're not evacuating the nearby buildings. But it is a very unusual scene to see -- to have someone they think is a gunman in the building.
The security is extraordinarily tight on Capitol Hill, and it has been, really, dating back to the Oklahoma bombing. But certainly since 9/11, it's very, very tight, and it's hard to get in with anything, as apparently was the case here, because they say they spotted the gun, but first the guy grabbed it and sprinted away.
PHILLIPS: And, Ted, it's the Capitol Hill police that worked here this building, is that right?
BARRETT: That's right. It's U.S. Capitol police, a separate police agency in the distract. I don't see any D.C. police around. I only see U.S. Capitol police at this point.
PHILLIPS: Let me ask you, I'm not quite sure how close you are to any Congress people. Are you able to get close to one, maybe talk to them, or are they all gathering in a different area?
BARRETT: We're all sort of milling around on the steps here.
PHILLIPS: Do you recognize anybody?
BARRETT: Oh, sure. There are lots of members here. But right now, the guy with the answers is Congressman Bob Ney, who's the chairman of the House Administration Committee, but he is holding a news conference right, now so I can't really pull him aside at this point. But he is the one who did explain that this guy came here with his backpack and then sprinted off after the gun was spotted.
PHILLIPS: All right, if it looks like maybe you can grab someone to talk to us, let me know. Meanwhile, we'll stay with you here, Ted, as things develop. I'm being told we are waiting for a news conference with the Capitol Hill police. That should be coming to us any moment. Actually, all right so, Ted, do us a favor. Keep working details. And we will check back in with you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 30, 2003 - 13:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, we want to take you to the phones. Ted Barrett, one of our producers out of D.C. there, is telling us there is a search for an armed individual in the Cannon House office building there on the Hill.
What do you know, Ted?
TED BARRETT, CNN PRODUCER: Well, that's exactly right. It's a very unusual scene here, at the Cannon House office building, which are the offices for many members of the house, is being evacuated right now, because a gentleman who is being described as a white -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in blue jeans went through a metal detector, a weapon, a handgun, we're told, was spotted on the screen. When that was discovered, he grabbed the backpack and sprinted down the hall and around a corner. Many, many doors here in these long hallways, and the cops lost sight of him.
So they're now evacuated the building. They've sealed the tunnels to the other office buildings. They're all connected underneath of the ground. And now there is a SWAT team inside, going apparently room to room, looking for this suspected gunman.
PHILLIPS: So, Ted, at this point, we don't know anything about this man or what he may have been looking for? And at this point, do you know of anyone who has been injured?
BARRETT: No. There's no report of any injuries. And we know nothing more about the suspected gunman, other than what I just told you. There is still a lot of answers to get here. And it's just unfolding. I will certainly update you when we get more.
PHILLIPS: Ted, is it still being evacuated, one by one, or is pretty much everybody out at this point, do you know?
BARRETT: It's a little hard to tell. Only five minutes ago, they said they were not going to evacuate the building, but they were urging people to stay in their offices. And now we've got people streaming out, saying they were ordered to leave the building. So it's a little unclear.
I will tell you, it is a very calm situation here and we are right on the steps of the Cannon Building. Lots of members of Congress coming over to the press area right now to try to tell us what is going on.
But they've not shut down Independence Avenue. They have -- they're not evacuating the nearby buildings. But it is a very unusual scene to see -- to have someone they think is a gunman in the building.
The security is extraordinarily tight on Capitol Hill, and it has been, really, dating back to the Oklahoma bombing. But certainly since 9/11, it's very, very tight, and it's hard to get in with anything, as apparently was the case here, because they say they spotted the gun, but first the guy grabbed it and sprinted away.
PHILLIPS: And, Ted, it's the Capitol Hill police that worked here this building, is that right?
BARRETT: That's right. It's U.S. Capitol police, a separate police agency in the distract. I don't see any D.C. police around. I only see U.S. Capitol police at this point.
PHILLIPS: Let me ask you, I'm not quite sure how close you are to any Congress people. Are you able to get close to one, maybe talk to them, or are they all gathering in a different area?
BARRETT: We're all sort of milling around on the steps here.
PHILLIPS: Do you recognize anybody?
BARRETT: Oh, sure. There are lots of members here. But right now, the guy with the answers is Congressman Bob Ney, who's the chairman of the House Administration Committee, but he is holding a news conference right, now so I can't really pull him aside at this point. But he is the one who did explain that this guy came here with his backpack and then sprinted off after the gun was spotted.
PHILLIPS: All right, if it looks like maybe you can grab someone to talk to us, let me know. Meanwhile, we'll stay with you here, Ted, as things develop. I'm being told we are waiting for a news conference with the Capitol Hill police. That should be coming to us any moment. Actually, all right so, Ted, do us a favor. Keep working details. And we will check back in with you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
