Radio Free Mike

a berlin blog

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Paranoia Key of DC

Yesterday cops in Washington shut down the Rayburn Building at the US capitol complex for five hours and warned everyone in Congress (and their staffs) who was still at work that a gunman might be in the building. One woman had a panic attack and got wheeled out on a stretcher. Heavily-armed capitol police shouted at reporters to "get back in the room" when they peeked out the AP office door, and an e-mail message went around to everyone in the Rayburn House Office Building --

1. If you are in the Rayburn HOB then Shelter in Place. Quickly move into the nearest interior office space or interior hallway and away from windows. The Capitol Police are investigating reports of gunfire in the Rayburn HOB.

2. If nearby, grab Go-Kits and personal belongings.

3. Close doors behind you, but do not lock.

4. Remain calm.

This set somewhere under a thousand news outfits rolling on a story that the capitol was "under lockdown" because of a reported gunshot in the Rayburn garage. There were more official e-mails, including:

1. During the search, the police officers will knock 3 times on each office door, announce "United States Capitol Police", knock 3 additional times, and then voice the code word.

But the "gunshot" was just a loud noise from an elevator repair crew. "House member Jim Saxton (R-N.J.) later revealed that he was the one who heard the sounds," the Washington Post reported. Saxton, who thought a pneumatic hammer "sounded like a 9mm handgun," defended his image as a brave Republican by saying he "grew up with firearms." It might have been better for everyone if he'd grown up with power tools.

Yahoo has a photo essay. (OK, one photo.)

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 10:53 AM

Comments: Post a Comment

links