Congressman Bill Flores of Bryan opened a Thursday afternoon conference call with reports by apologizing for starting five minutes late.
Flores explained the delay was due to moving to a undisclosed location following a report of gunfire outside the U.S. Capitol.
The Congressman reviewed the events preceding the start of the new federal fiscal year, what has happened since October 1, and constituent reaction.
Click below to listen to the conference call:
Congressman Bill Flores Conference Call, October 3 2013
3 p.m. update:
WASHINGTON (AP) _ Police says shooting at Capitol an isolated incident, not terrorism.
WASHINGTON (AP) _ Police and witnesses say the gunfire outside the U.S. Capitol today began when a woman tried to ram through a White House barricade with her car. They say the woman then led police on a chase that ended outside the Capitol. Police say the woman was taken into custody, and a young child who was with her was taken to a hospital. A police officer was injured when the car crashed outside the Capitol, but the injuries weren’t life-threatening. Police say no officers were wounded by gunfire. The entire Capitol complex was locked down for about an hour. Both houses of Congress went into recess. Witnesses say at least 20 police cars were involved in chasing the Lexus toward Capitol Hill. One tourist says he walked toward the scene, curious about what was going on — but the he “heard the gunfire” and hit the ground.
WASHINGTON (AP) _ A senator is describing the scene outside the U.S. Capitol as shots were fired this afternoon. Democrat Bob Casey of Pennsylvania told reporters he was walking from the Capitol to the Senate Russell Office Building across the street when he noticed several police officers driving fast up
Constitution Avenue on motorcycles. Within seconds, he says, he heard “three, four, five pops,” which he assumed were gunshots. He says police ordered him and nearby tourists to crouch behind a car for protection. In about two minutes, he said, the officers moved everyone into the Capitol.
2:25 p.m. update:
WASHINGTON (AP) _ A law enforcement official says a shooting at the United States Capitol is related to a vehicle that tried to ram a security barricade at the White House.
The official says a driver tried to drive through a barricade that blocks the stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House to vehicles. The driver then proceeded down Pennsylvania Avenue to Capitol Hill, where shots were fired.
The official was not authorized to publicly discuss the incident by name and insisted on anonymity.
Original story:
WASHINGTON (AP) _ Police say the U.S. Capitol has been put on a security lockdown amid reports of possible shots fired outside the building.
People standing outside the Supreme Court across the street from Congress were hurried into the court building by authorities.
U.S. Capitol police said they had received reports of gunshots and one police officer has been injured.