The DC police chief called Wednesday's active shooter report "bogus," but the Brady Campaign and its president Kris Brown are using the incident to advocate for stricter gun laws.

An active shooter situation was reported to authorities near the Senate office buildings, as Breitbart News reported.

The police chief in Washington, DC, Thomas Manger was described by NBC News as saying, "We found no confirmation that there was an active shooter, and that this may have been a bogus call."

The Campaign's Push

However, Kris Brown of the Brady Campaign used the hoax to blame firearms:

"No American — whether senators, schoolchildren, workers, movie-goers, shoppers, or worshippers — should have to live under the constant threat of active shooters," the Brady Campaign tweeted, calling for further action against weapons. This is our daily reality, and we can and must alter it.

No American — whether senators, schoolchildren, workers, movie-goers, shoppers, or worshippers — should have to live under the constant threat of active shooters. We can and must change this daily reality. #EnoughIsEnough https://t.co/cEUryLBdRC

— Brady | United Against Gun Violence (@bradybuzz) August 2, 2023

Twitter users criticized Brown and the Brady Campaign for using a fake mass massacre to advocate for stricter gun laws.

A Twitter user said, "Maybe wait first and confirm the story before spewing the same lies and propaganda."

"What guns?" others asked on Twitter. The shooter wasn't there," Perhaps you shouldn't jump to conclusions. Both "There was no actual shooter, just a swatting" and "Yet another False Flag Operation, seeking more gun control," have been bandied about.

The Shooter Threat

The initial phone contact warned of a "heavyset Hispanic male wearing body armor," according to Manger. "We have no other information, no confirmation of that."

Manger added that the Metropolitan Police Department made multiple attempts to identify the originating caller, but each time a different phone number was provided.

Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to appear for his arraignment on Thursday afternoon in a federal courthouse in Washington in connection with efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and authorities there have been making preparations for his arrival.

Two law enforcement officials had earlier informed NBC News on Wednesday that the Russell Senate Office Building had been evacuated and sealed down due to reports of a suspected active shooter in the building.