Updated | Capitol Hill on ‘lockdown’ as gunman shoots himself

Capitol Hill in Washington was on lockdown for nearly two hours after a gunman shot himself outside the building on Saturday afternoon.

Police have reported gunshots on the west front of the Capitol in Washington, with the access to the capitol being restricted as a precaution.
A suspicious package on the lower west terrace of the building is also being investigated. The package is thought to be the gunman's suitcase, on the lower west terrace of the Capitol building.

Congress is not in session as it has been on spring break for the past two weeks, with US lawmakers expected to return to work on Monday, however, the annual Cherry Blossom festival and sunshine attracted tourists.

Those inside the building were reportedly told to stay there and visitors outside to take cover. According to the police there appears to have been no sign of terrorist intent, but nearby streets were cordoned off as an investigation continued.

The event as the latest in a series of security incidents in Washington DC in recent years. In 2013, a woman tried to drive her car past a security gate at the White House, and she was shot dead in the subsequent car chase.