Woman attempting to gate-crash White House shot dead following car chase

A woman was killed in a chaotic care chase that began when she tried to ram a security barrier near the White House.

The car chase ended after the suspect was shot near the U.S. Capitol by police.

The incident had put the Hill temporarily on lockdown and caused what one witness described as 'mass panic'.

According to Fox News, police confirmed that the suspect was killed after being struck by officers' gunfire. The Secret Service said she had a one-year-old girl in the car, who was not injured.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said officers acted heroically. She said two police officers were injured.

According to the report, Republican Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said that the woman originally tried to run down a Secret Service agent near the White House.

The chase and subsequent stand-off near the Capitol went down as lawmakers were debating under the dome about the partial government shutdown, the report said.

Officials said it appears the incident had 'no nexus to terrorism'.

The chase and stand-off caused panic on Capitol Hill, with sirens blaring inside the building and lawmakers and their staff being ordered to stay in place, it added.

Officials said the incident began with a car chase, which started when the suspect, driving a black sedan with Connecticut plates, tried to ram a barrier near the White House.

Several police cars pursued her to a location near the Capitol building. When they boxed her in, sources said, the driver got out and five or six shots were fired, the report added.