Capitol Gunman May Have Had a Pellet Gun

Officials confirm the man accused of pulling a weapon only to be shot by US Capitol police at the Capitol Visitor Center on Monday is Larry Russell Dawson, a minister from Antioch, Tenn., who is charged with assault with a deadly weapon and assault on a police officer while armed, reports NBC Washington. At least one officer fired at Dawson, 66, after a metal detector sounded and he revealed "what appeared to be a weapon" around 2:40pm, US Capitol Police Chief Matthew Verderosa says, per NPR. Officials tell the Washington Post that Dawson was shot in the chest and thigh; he is listed in stable but critical condition.

A female bystander reportedly suffered a minor facial injury from a bullet fragment; her condition is unknown. "It appears the screening process worked as intended," says Verderosa, adding that a weapon was recovered from the scene. An official tells the Wall Street Journal that it may have been a pellet gun. Dawson's truck was also found on the premises and "will be searched upon the granting of a search warrant," police say. Dawson had been ordered to keep away from the Capitol after an incident last October when "he began shouting Bible verses" from the chamber gallery of the House of Representatives, according to an affidavit. He was then charged with assaulting and resisting police and disorderly conduct. (More shooting stories.)