A group of Santa Barbara County middle school students spent much of their Monday afternoon on lockdown in the U.S. Capitol Building after a man was shot during a routine security screening.
U.S. Capitol Police said Monday that the man drew a weapon during a routine screening. NPR reported the "suspect is currently undergoing surgery and his condition is not known."
As a lockdown went into effect for the Capitol Complex, 84 Central Coast eighth graders and seven teachers were inside the building. They represent La Colina, Goleta Valley, and Santa Barbara junior high schools.
The Santa Barbara Unified School District said Monday afternoon that students were able to message their parents during the incident.
The students started the day with a photo stop at the White House and a visit to Ford’s Theatre and the National Archives.
They were scheduled to continue their trip with a visit to the Supreme Court, but the school district was not sure whether those plans would be affected by the earier events.