The visitor center's underground entrance was built to provide greater security after two officers were shot and killed in the building in 1998

White House was briefly placed on lockdown but that was soon lifted

Meanwhile the Obamas are hosting the Easter Egg Roll just meters away

The 66-year-old was taken to hospital for surgery. A bystander was hit by police officer's shrapnel

Dawson was shot by officers when he produced the weapon as it triggered the metal detectors

He was arrested after shouting Bible verses and yelling 'I am a prophet of God' from the House's balcony

Dawson, of Antioch, Tennessee was banned from entering the Capitol building after he disrupted Congress last October

Visitors were seen screaming and running from the building

The incident at just before 3 pm Eastern Time came a few hours after a scheduled active shooter drill in the building

Pastor Larry Russell Dawson was gunned down by police after he pulled a gun at the Capitol's visitor center

A Tennessee pastor has pulled a gun in the Capitol just months after he was banned from the building for disrupting Congress by yelling that he was a 'prophet of God.'

Larry Russell Dawson was shot by police when he produced the weapon after it triggered metal detectors at the Capitol's visitor center - hours after an active shooter drill in the government building.

The 66-year-old, who has been taken to hospital where he remains in a 'stable but critical condition', was gunned down before he was able to fire the gun shortly before 3pm today. A female visitor was hit by shrapnel from the police's gunfire.

He has now been charged with assault with a deadly weapon and assault on a police officer while armed, authorities told DailyMail.com.

Dawson, a married pastor at St Luke's Spiritual Church in Antioch, Nashville, had been banned from entering the Capitol building after an incident last year.

In October, he was arrested in the US Capitol for disrupting Congress by yelling 'I am a prophet of God' from the balcony of the House of Representatives.

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Larry Russell Dawson, of Antioch, Tennessee, was arrested after he pulled a gun on in the Capitol's visitor center - just hours after an active shooter drill in the government building

Dawson (who is off-scree) was arrested in the US Capitol last October for yelling 'I am a prophet of God' from the balcony of the House of Representatives

Visitors run from the US Capitol building after shots were fired at around 3pm on Easter Monday

Two students hug after being evacuated from the building, apparently with a school group

Crowds of visitors swarmed around outdoors as police stand guard once the shooter had been detained

According to court documents Dawson, who also shouted bible verses was removed from gallery but but attempted to flee from police.

He was charged with assaulting a police officer during his arrest and unlawful conduct at the Capitol, the Daily Beast reports.

Dawson was slapped with a Stay Away Order - which barred him from entering the U.S. Capitol building, grounds and all Congressional buildings, NBC Washington reports.

The pastor has previously visited Washington on a number of occasions to call for a higher minimum wage as part of his church's Movement.

Today's incident began at around 2.40pm when Dawson tried to walk through the metal detector of the visitor center and set the bleepers off.

In response, he pulled a 'pellet gun' according to some reports, and pointed it at a screener - but was immediately shot and wounded by police.

Lone gunman Dawson was stretchered to an ambulance after being shot by police, and transported to hospital

A female bystander, who was struck by bullet fragments when Dawson was shot, was also transported to the hospital

An officer stands guard as the US Capitol is secured after a visitor opened fire in the visitor center on Monday

The government building (pictured after the shooting) is just meters away from the White House

Dawson was taken to hospital for surgery and police said this evening he remains in a stable but critical condition.

He will be presented to the District of Columbia Superior Court once he is discharged.

Officers have also seized his car which was found nearby the Capitol building and is due to be searched.

The shooting sparked confusion at the Capitol building as reports came soon after a scheduled active shooter drill, which staff had been notified about via email.

Video posted on Instagram shows crowds running and screaming after the gunshots sounded. Many were shoe-less, having just taken them off to go through the security barrier.

Capitol Police told DailyMail.com that the Capitol was in lock-down for around an hour after the shooting.

Chief Verderosa praised the 'heroic and quick actions of the officers involved' in the incident.

'They performed their jobs flawlessly and I am thankful to have these officers as members of the USCP protecting our nation's greatest symbol of democracy,' he added.

Verderosa added that security would be back to business as usual by tomorrow.

'I want to assure the American public and all visitors to the United States Capitol that the USCP continues to proudly and professionally protect the Capitol, CVC, and all other Congressional Buildings,' he said. 'We expect regular order of business by tomorrow morning at the CVC.'

There was confusion as the shooting came soon after a scheduled active shooter drill in the building

A member of the uniformed Secret Service walks near the press briefing room and the North Lawn of the White House minutes after. The White House was briefly placed on lockdown before the suspect was detained

Officers stand guard after crowds fled screaming from the US Capitol underground security entrance (right)

One visitor, Cathryn Leff from California, described crowds running and screaming after gunshots sounded as she was walking through security

Leff described a chaotic scene unfolding. It took place while Congress was on recess for the holiday

On Monday, visitor Cathryn Leff, who came to D.C. from California for the holiday, tweeted: 'Was at the #Visitor's Center... shots heard while going through #security it was a scramble... #Capitol #Evacuated after hiding behind wall.'

She added: 'That moment when it goes down ..everyone is screaming & running and you can't see where the #shotsfired are from.'

An email was sent to workers describing the 'potential security threat'.

The email added: 'If you are outside, seek cover.'

Meanwhile, the President and First Lady were hosting 35,000 people - including Beyonce, Jay Z, Shaquille O'Neal, and Idina Menzel - at the White House Easter Egg Roll just a few hundred meters away.

The underground visitor center of the Capitol building was created to provide greater security after two police officers, Jacob Chestnut and John Gibson, were shot dead by a visitor in 1998.

Visitors enter through a metal detector and bag check.

Part of the building's security measures involve exercise drills.

Indeed, staff received an email at 8am on Monday morning alerting them that they would be doing an active shooter drill.

The email read in part: 'This is a Shelter-in-Place EXERCISE message from the USCP. (...) Exercise, Exercise. SHELTER IN PLACE. Gunshots have been reported on Capitol Hill requiring staff and visitors in the US Capitol Building to immediately shelter in place.'

The exercise drill email also featured a bullet-point list, saying the building was locked down and staff outside should seek cover.

It concluded 'THIS IS A DRILL. EXERCISE EXERCISE.'

But just hours later, staff received that same bullet-point list, causing some confusion.

The underground visitor center of the building was created for greater security after two officers, Jacob Chestnut and John Gibson, were shot dead in 1998. Visitors enter through a metal detector and bag check

Meanwhile the president was hosting the White House's annual Easter Egg Roll just meters away

Around 35,000 people were at the White House for the event as the US Capitol was locked down

This map shows the proximity of the White House to the US Capitol, just the other side of the National Mall

The event unfolded with Congress on recess and lawmakers back in their districts. The White House was briefly put on lockdown, but that was soon lifted.

Visitors were being turned away from the Capitol as emergency vehicles flooded the street and the plaza on the building's eastern side.

Police, some carrying long guns, cordoned off the streets immediately around the building, which were thick with tourists visiting for spring holidays and the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Traffic was jammed in the vicinity, but despite the obvious emergency the scene was relatively calm.

A work crew on the north side of the Supreme Court, across the street, was asked to stop work and move away from the building as a precaution.