The White House and the U.S. Capitol were temporarily put on lockdown after an active shooter situation was reported around 3:15 p.m. Monday afternoon. Once the story broke, some members of the media were quick to speculate as to who was behind the incident.
White House lockdown
Over the last seven days, Islamic terrorist groups have stuck around the word, once in Brussels and another in Pakistan on Easter Sunday.
Due to the rise of international terrorism, any threat perceived as dangerous will be taken seriously by authorities, including the most recent situation in Washington, D.C. on March 28.
The suspect has since been identified as Larry Dawson, an African-American Christian pastor from Antioch, Tennessee. Upon entering the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, Dawson pulled out his weapon, and pointed it at the local authorities. The officers fired an unknown amount of bullets in Dawon's direction, before apprehending him, and taking him into custody. A female bystanders was reportedly struck by one of the bullets, but her injuries are said to be minor.
Dawson has had a history of questionable behavior, once interrupting a session of Congress last October, shouting out that he was a "Prophet of God." Dawson was removed from the area following the outburst.
Fox News' response
Depending on the News outlet, the story was reported in various tones. Fox News, which is often criticized as a conservative news channel, appeared to hint that the shooter could be inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS), before enough information was released. In an article by Mediaite, a Fox News contributor jumped to conclusions without knowing the facts on the ground.
Fox News Chief Correspondent out of Washington, D.C., Catherine Herridge was puzzled when she heard that the female civilian injured was struck by "shrapnel." "I'm not sure what to make of that at this point. Whether it was bullet shrapnel, or something else," Herridge said, not elaborating on what the "something else" she was referring to was supposed to be.
Continuing, Herridge actually brought ISIS into the equation. "ISIS likes to sort of flood the airwaves, if you will, after an event like (Belgium) to kind of capitalize on the event," she said, noting, "In the last 24-48 hours, there have been several messages specifically about the United States." Despite claims of messages about the United States, there have been no reports of a direct threat to the country or the American people in that time.