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Show The Salt Lake Tribune NATION— Friday, October<3, 2003 Utahns keep cool as toy gun prompts lockdownat Capitol House members: Offices of Bishop and Cannonare evacuated; Matheson and his staffers lock the door and wait out the trouble TRIBUNE STAFF AND Wire Reports WASHINGTON — When Capitol Police notified lawmakers Thursday that an armed intruder had entered their office building, Utah Rep. Jim Mathe- his office was one of the first to connects the buildings with the be evacuated by police with the Capitol and was prevented from congressman and his staff escorted into the building’s large rotunda chamberto be searched and released. “We were joking that apparently they want to give [the alleged gunman] an easiertarget,” said Scott Parker, Bishop’s chief of staff. Cannon was returningto his office from the nearby Rayburn House Office Building through the underground tunnel that entering the locked-down building. “They wouldn’t let him through the tunnel, so he called us from outsidetosee if everyone was safe,” said his press secretary, Meghan Riding, oneof five Cannon staffers who were brought into the rotunda under the watch of SWAT team mem- bers. “It’s been a little scary.” But Mathesonsaid the Capitol was served well by security precautions installed after the 2001 terrorist attacks on Washington. He was notified by an intercom announcement that told everyone to stay in their offices until further notice. Matheson determined the whereabouts of aides attending meetings outside the office and reassuring phone calls were madeto parents back home. For the next hour or so, Matheson said, his office watched television for updates and tried to get work done. “IT don’t think there was any big panic,” he said. ‘““That’s jusi not my office.” Police SWAT teamssearching the building office by office had just reached Matheson’s suite on the fourth floor and had asked the staff to evacuate when they learned the gun had been found and wasn't real. “Even though it ended upbeing a toy gun,”’ Matheson said, “it’s just important you take threats seriously.” Rep. John Shimkus, R-IIL, contacted Capitol police to report that his aides were the two people authorities were looking for. Security personnel raced to the office and learned about the | costume and toy gun. Shimkus’ office would not identify the two aides and no charges were filed. “This was an unfortunate misunderstanding, a result of mystaff's efforts to put together . a Halloween costume during ° their lunch hour,” he said in a— written apology. son accounted for his staff, locked the door and watched events unfold on television. “I see some SWATfolks up on the roof looking out my window and we've heard police in the hallway shouting to peopleto get FREE APPLI & ELECTRO! back into their offices, but for now we're just hunkered down here,” Matheson said about an hour into the lockdown and shortly before the true nature of the threat was revealed. “I'm just trying to get some letters edited.” . The building that houses of- fices of congressmen was shut down until police determined that a plastic revolver and Halloween costumewere to blame. U.S. Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainersaid twostaff aides had stopped to chat with security personnelafter placing a bag ona security station X-ray belt at the entrance to the office building, then went into their building. Moments later, security officials CoeWimemertta: pa Ate pee orday Heine, This Thursday, che and Saturday only - ba aa noticed the image of a gun on a video screen, and triggered an alarm. Start to finish, the incident lasted two hours or less — butit caused a large-scale security response in a time of terrorism worries. Police in battle gear moved into the Cannon House Office Building in pursuit of suspects. All three of Utah’s House members have their congressional offices in the Cannon Building, with the doorways to the suites used by Republican Reps. Chris Cannon and Rob Bishop a few paces from the southwest entrance security station. Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson’s office is on the fourth floor of the building, which encompasses an entire city block. Bishop wasin his office with four staffers at the time of the : BUC oe Package shown Srcu my *2599 *1599 Includes: Range Microwave RYwee suspected security breach, and Whirlpool Complete Stainless Steel Kitchen Refrigerator Dishwasher (TS25AF XKS, DU9Z0PWKS MH6150 XMS, RF368LXKS) Pleadeal set in Green River case ah Enter toVWVIN By]i a Hoover Vacuum, Sharp DVD, or an RCA 27” T™ Wk) By GENE JOHNSON Simply drop your ent form into the Witch's Cauldronat any of our our stores. Winnerswill TheAssociated Press be announced after November 1, 2003. SEATTLE — The man suspected of being the Green River Killer has agreed to plead guilty next week to the murders of 48 womenin a deal that would spare him from execution, a source told The Associated Press on Thursday. Gary Leon Ridgway, a 54year-old truck painter arrested in the serial killer case in 2001, Z, will admit to murdering 42 women on the investigators’ list of Green River Killer victims, a$ well as six women notonthelist, said the source, who is involved in the case. The Green River Killer preyed mostly on prostitutes, drug addicts, young runaways and other womenonthestreets. The case is named for the waterway where the first bodies were found in the suburbs south of Seattle in mid-1982. Most of the slayings were in the mid-1980s, but one of the slayings to which Ridgway will plead guilty was in 1998, the source said. In many cases, the killer had sex. with his victim and then strangled her. Ridgway was arrested nearly two year's ago and was ultimately charged with sevenslayings. Prosecutors said DNA evidence and microscopic paint particles linked him to most of those killings. Seattle-area newspapers and TV stations had been reporting over the past few days that a plea bargain had been reached. With the death penalty off the table, Ridgway would face life in prison without parole the only other penalty for aggravated murder under Washingtonlaw. Detective Kathleen Larson, a spokeswoman for the Green River Killer task force, would not comment when contacted by The Associated Press. -COPY| Compare at $4 2° er OTD yt) Sweep up the savings while Sat supplies last! (limit one per customer) Now only FREE candy for eit e the Kids! Beety Dishwasher (DU943PWKQ) ; PRR =r Whirlpool Microwave & Dishwasher Furnish yourlife for less! 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