Eyewitnesses Describe Chaos as Capitol Police Directed Tourists to Run From Shooting

Diane Bilo, a tourist visiting Washington, D.C., from Cincinnati, was just outside the Capitol Visitor Center, Monday, when gunshots rang out nearby.

"We were on our way back when they [the police] told us to run the other way," said Bilo.

While Bilo was speaking with TheBlaze, her husband, who was apparently in the Capitol complex at the time of the shooting, texted her, providing a fuller picture of what unfolded inside in the moments after the shooting.

"It sounded like a full clip from a handgun," said Bilo, reading a text from her husband. "Officers ran down the hallway. They shouted 'cover in place.' Heard them say 'multiple injuries.'"

Mitchell Bilo, Diane's son, told TheBlaze that he believes he heard multiple gun shots while fleeing the scene at the direction of the Capitol Police.

"People were screaming and the cop was yelling at people to cross the road," said Mitchell.

The Associated Press reported Monday afternoon that a shooting had taken place and that the shooter was in police custody. There were conflicting reports on whether anyone was injured.

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