Security guards opened fire on a woman who drove toward the CIA’s headquarters near Washington, DC on Thursday, ignoring orders to stop. She was taken into custody, Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with the incident.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a check of public records showed the suspect, identified as a young US citizen, had a history of driving under the influence.
A CIA spokesperson said earlier that security staff “engaged a person” outside the main gates and then arrested the suspect.
The spokesperson declined to say whether gunfire struck the suspect.
Early Morning Incident
The source familiar with the matter also did not say whether the woman was hit but that she was in stable condition after the incident, which occurred at around 4 a.m. (0800 GMT).
NBC News reported earlier that the suspect was shot, citing a person with knowledge of the matter.
The woman drove into the main entrance through the outbound lane, and when security guards tried to stop her, she evaded them and continued toward the gate, drawing their fire, the source told Reuters.
Front Gate Closed
The vehicle never entered the CIA compound, and no security officers were hurt, according to the source.
“The front gate at Headquarters is closed until further notice. Please use alternate routes for Thursday, May 22nd,” the CIA tweeted
The FBI was investigating the incident, the source said.
Israeli Embassy Staff Killed
The shooting incident came after two Israeli Embassy staffers were killed by a lone gunman in downtown Washington on Wednesday night.
The staff were fatally shot after they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum about 1.3 miles (2 km) from the White House.
The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, chanted “Free Palestine, Free Palestine”, after being taken into custody, Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said.
Meanwhile, the source said there was no sign of a connection between the two incidents.
(With inputs from Reuters)
