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MPD Identifies Capitol Suicide Vicitim

Onlookers gather on the West Front of the Capitol after the April 11 shooting. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Onlookers gather on the West Front of the Capitol after the April 11 shooting. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

The Metropolitan Police Department has identified the man who shot himself on the Capitol grounds Saturday afternoon as 22-year-old Leo P. Thornton of Lincolnwood, Ill.

In a statement sent Monday, MPD said detectives from its Criminal Investigations Division identified the victim, but did not provide a motive for the apparent suicide, and did not provide any details on the sign Thornton was apparently carrying. U.S. Capitol Police Chief Kim C. Dine said at a press conference Saturday that the sign pertained to “social justice.”

MPD provided the following description of the incident Monday:

“On Saturday, April 11, 2015, at approximately 1:07 pm, U.S. Capitol Police heard the sound of a gunshot on the U.S. Capitol Grounds near the unit block of First Street Northwest.  An adult male was located suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was unresponsive on the scene.”

The apparent suicide led to a tense few hours Saturday afternoon, when the Capitol building and the Capitol Visitor Center were put on lockdown as a precautionary measure while the U.S. Capitol Police’s bomb squad, with help from MPD, investigated Thompson’s backpack and suitcase. After the squad did not find any hazardous materials, MPD took over the investigation.

Related:


MPD Will Lead Capitol Shooting Death Investigation


Shots Fired at Capitol


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