Man dies after crashing car, firing gun near US Capitol

A man died early yesterday near the US Capitol building after driving his car into a barricade and firing shots into the air before turning his gun on himself, police said.

A statement from the US Capitol Police did not identify the man or speculate on a motive.

The Congress is currently in recess, and police said "it does not appear the man was targeting any members of Congress."

The Supreme Court, still behind security fencing after its bitterly divisive ruling on abortion, is also nearby on Capitol Hill.

The incident occurred amid heightened tensions and violence-filled chatter on social media following the surprise seizure of several boxes of classified government documents from former President Donald Trump's Florida resort estate.