CNN "Newsroom" - Transcript: Shots Near Capitol Hill

Interview

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Dana Bash is up in the U.S. Senate side. Athena Jones is at the Russell Senate Office Building. Jim Acosta is over at the White House where they basically shut down Pennsylvania Avenue maybe as a precaution outside of the White House as well. And we're trying to get in touch with members get some information. I think we have one congresswoman from Hawaii right now, Tulsi Gabbard joining us. Congresswoman, are you there?

REPRESENTATIVE TULSI GABBARD, LOCKED DOWN IN OFFICE (via telephone): Yes, I'm here.

BLITZER: Tell us where you are and what you saw, what you heard.

GABBARD: I'm here in my office, about to walk out the door when one of my members of my staff came running in and started locking the doors and the windows. Her fiance, who is working in the Raburn Building, had said he had heard some shots fired and saw capitol police running down the street with their weapons pulled.

The announcement over the loud speakers came out telling everyone from capitol police to shelter in place, and if outside, to take cover. So we've got most of the team here in the office across the street from the capitol right now, and folks who are not in the office, everyone is safe and is in a safe place.

BLITZER: You're on the House side, which is all the way on the other side of the U.S. Capitol from the Senate side, but what you're saying is that whole area on the House side of the U.S. Capitol is shut down as well, is that right, Congresswoman?

GABBARD: It has been shut down. I did not personally hear any of the shots fired, but there are people in some of the other office buildings who said they heard the shots fired themselves when this went down a few minutes ago so all three House office buildings are completely locked down. We've got folks on the first floor of this building, and everyone is literally sheltering in place. They're not allowed to move upstairs or downstairs, in or out of these buildings.

BLITZER: So what you're saying is people have said to you on the House side, which is pretty far away from the Senate side, from the Senate office buildings, including the Hart Senate Office Building, they heard gunshots all the way over on the House side, is that right?

GABBARD: Yes, a member of my staff here, her fiance worked in the Raburn Building and called her quickly to make sure she was safe and OK.

BLITZER: So how are the folks doing over there in your building, your staff? I know everybody is listening to the advice of U.S. Capitol Police, the warnings, shelter in place. I assume there's a procedure you have in a situation like this. You go into a saferoom, internally as much as possible, is that right?

GABBARD: You know, our team is performing as trained and as planned. We are here, locked down in my office. Quickly, the staff who were not in the office with us, they were located within just a couple minutes. Everyone reporting in and making sure they were OK and they were in a safe place, and of course, checking on our whole delegation and staff as well in the House, the Senate. Thankfully, everybody is doing okay and they're in a safe place.

BLITZER: Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, thanks very much. We'll stay in close touch with you. You served in the military, right, so you're familiar with the situation?

GABBARD: Yes, I'm a military police captain in the Army.

BLITZER: I know that, so I'm sure you're very concerned like all of us right now. If you get more information, Congresswoman, please let us know. Please give our best wishes to your staff, everybody in the House office buildings as well.

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