The U.S. Capitol complex was shut down for about an hour on Monday out of an abundance of caution after a small fire broke out nearby, underscoring security jitters days before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, Eurasia Diary reports citing Reuters.
The Capitol Police in a statement said the lockdown was lifted and the fire nearby was contained.
“Out of an abundance of caution the U.S. Capitol complex was temporarily shutdown. There is no threat to the public,” the U.S. Secret Service said on Twitter.
The lockdown comes just days ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration and follows the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol in Washington by extremists and Trump supporters, some of whom called for the death of Vice President Mike Pence as he presided over the certification of Biden’s election victory.