Authorities identify the gunman who crashed his car into a barricade at the Capitol and then killed himself

• Authorities revealed the identity of the man who created a terrifying scene near the Capitol.
• The man crashed his car into a barricade near the Capitol on Sunday, fired shots into the air and then killed himself.
• He had made terrorist threats in the past.

He had a terrible record. Authorities have identified the man who crashed his car into a barricade on Sunday near the US Capitol in Washington, DC and then began shooting into the air as he got out of the burning vehicle before finally committing suicide.

The gunman has been identified by the United States Capitol Police as Richard A. York III, 29, a resident of Delaware who had a criminal record, mainly in Pennsylvania, dating back to 2012, according to the Daily Mail on Monday.

The gunman who crashed his car and died near the Capitol is identified

The statement identifying Richard York said: «It is still unclear why he chose to drive to the Capitol Complex.» His actions are being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, according to the Daily Mail.

Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger told the media at a news conference that officers who approached Richard York after the crash did not hear him say a word. He added that detectives are looking into Richard York’s background in an attempt to discover a motive.

The dark history of Richard York, the man who committed suicide near the Capitol

The police chief also stated that investigators believe that Richard York himself may have started the fire in his car. Manger commented, «The subject has a criminal record for the last 10 years, but nothing that, at this time, links him to anything here on Capitol Hill.»

In February 2017, Richard York was charged with stealing various controlled substances from a pharmacy in Hellerton, Pennsylvania. He was also charged with robbery (first degree felony), burglary (second degree felony), receiving stolen property, criminal mischief, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Brutal beating of a co-worker

In January 2020, Richard York brutally assaulted a co-worker while the two were at the victim’s home in Pennsylvania. The deceased had accused his colleague of contacting his mother, so he hit him, broke a television in half and forced him to run out of his own house wearing only shorts and a t-shirt in 39 degree temperatures, according to WFMZ.

The victim’s legs were blue and his face was very swollen after the attack. WFMZ indicated that, after the victim fled the house, Richard York proceeded to further destroy his property. Both had been working on roofing projects in Philadelphia at the time.

Richard York’s tragic ending

Richard York was charged with, among other things, aggravated assault and misdemeanor simple assault. His other crimes included guilty pleas to disorderly conduct in December 2016, terroristic threats in January 2012 and possession of a controlled substance in February 2012, according to the Daily Mail report.

For the last two arrests, Richard York was not in jail until November 2013, when he failed a drug test while on probation. He was sentenced to spend between one and two years in prison for the crimes. And the incident on Sunday occurred just before 4 a.m., when he crashed his car into a barricade set up on East Capitol Street and 2nd Street near the Capitol, shooting into the air and then shooting himself.