Police cordon off the area in front of the Wh
Police cordon off the area in front of the WhAFP file

The female driver who tried to ram the gate of the White House with her car Thursday and was shot dead by police has been identified as 34-year-old Miriam Carey of Stamford, Connecticut.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier confirmed earlier on Thursday that Carey was shot and later pronounced dead.

A young child in the car with Carey appeared to be uninjured, Lanier said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation dispatched units to the Capitol, following reports of shots fired near Garfield Circle. There are reports that one or more officers are injured. 

Media reports suggested the incident began at the White House and ended up on Capitol Hill. The driver had tried to ram the gate at the White House and then fled in a vehicle with police in pursuit. When they had succeeded in blocking its way, the driver got out and five or six shots were fired.

Senior congressional staffers and one eyewitness told Fox News the car chase ended near the Capitol building.

Witnesses saw a baby being taken from the car. It was later reported that the car was driven by a woman and that she had been shot dead.

The Hill cited some lawmakers as saying seven or eight shots were fired, and that they seemed to be coming from the area of the Rayburn House Office Building.

Sirens were going off in the Capitol, and an order was given over the Capitol speaker system to shelter in place because of an active shooter situation. The lockdown has since been lifted.

The House and Senate went into recess after the shooting.