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Update: Gunman hospitalized after shooting near US Capitol

Secret Service agents walk outside of the White House on Monday after a gunman reportedly shot a Capitol police officer.
Secret Service agents walk outside of the White House on Monday after a gunman reportedly shot a Capitol police officer.
(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

This post was updated at 5:30pm after earlier reports that a Capitol police officer had been shot proved to be incorrect.

A gunman near the US Capitol was taken to the hospital after being shot by law enforcement on Monday afternoon, according to The New York Times.

US Capitol police shot the gunman after he set off the metal detectors at the Capitol Visitor Center, according to CNN. A female bystander was also injured in the altercation.

The Associated Press and other news outlets reported earlier on Monday that a US Capitol police officer was also shot during the incident, but that proved to be untrue.

The threat was not believed to be part of a larger plot. "We believe this is the act of a single person who has frequented the grounds of the Capitol before," Capitol Police Chief Matthew Vederosa told NBC News.

The White House and the Capitol building were both put on lockdown during the incident.

Capitol police ordered no entry or exit through any Capitol buildings, and told those outside to seek cover. Congress is currently in recess.

Journalists and other officials near the Capitol said on Twitter that gunfire could be heard for several blocks in the area.

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