Remembering the U.S. Capitol Building Shooting of July 24, 1998

The US Capitol has witnessed numerous acts of violence over the years. However, the murders that took place on this particular day were especially abominable.

A Capitol Police Honor Guard salutes the coffins of Officer Jacob Chestnut and Detective John Gibson in the Capitol Rotunda as they lie in repose. — Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7531166

Covering well over 1.5 million square feet, several miles of corridors, and more than 600 rooms, the United States (U.S.) Capitol stands as one of our country’s symbols of freedom and democracy. Words that have reverberated through its halls and chambers have often found their way into the world’s history books.

It is the main location where the Senate and the House of Representatives meet to pass the country’s laws. Additionally, it is where presidents are inaugurated as well as deliver their annual State of the Union addresses. Perhaps, because of these highly politically charged events, emotions have often run high. Consequently, in a history that expands more than 220 years, the U.S. Capitol has seen its share of fistfights, fires, break-ins, shootings, even murder.

During the War of 1812 with England, British troops burned the Capitol along with the White House. This occurred in 1814 as retaliation for the burning of the city of York in Ontario, Canada by U.S. forces.