Man Arrested After Firing Shots at Capitol

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ A man fired several shots into the air while standing on the Texas Capitol’s south steps today before throwing down his handgun as state troopers closed in and tackled him.

The Texas Department of Public Safety says nobody was wounded in the shooting. DPS spokesman Tom Vinger says the 24-year-old suspect from the Houston area was taken to the Travis County Jail and faces felony charges of deadly conduct. His name wasn’t immediately released.

Gov. Rick Perry was not in the building at the time, and many lawmakers were away from Austin because the Legislature was not in session.

Some lawmakers were inside the Capitol, though. House Speaker Joe Straus’ office said he was stuck in the building while it was on lockdown. Sen. Leticia Van De Putte (pyoot) wrote on her Twitter page that she was also inside. Republican Sen. Dan Patrick said on his Twitter page that he wasn’t in the office but his staff called security.

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