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Guard dead after shooting at U.S. Census Bureau headquarters

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A guard at the U.S. Census Bureau is dead following a shooting at the bureau's headquarters in Maryland.

The guard died Thursday night, according to Erika Murray, a spokeswoman for Dimensions Healthcare System.

The shooting at the gates of the headquarters Thursday started with a domestic kidnapping incident, authorities said.

The kidnapper's car was spotted outside the Census Bureau in Suitland, according to D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier. The unincorporated community is in the Washington area.

The guard saw two people arguing in the car and when he approached, he was shot at least once in the upper body, said spokesman Mark Brady of the Prince George's County Fire Department.

The gunman fled the scene while firing at officers pursuing him, Lanier said. The chase ended in a crash on Washington's busy H Street, where a shootout broke out, the police chief said.

An officer and the suspect were wounded. Both were conscious and talking when they left the scene.

"Right now, we have every reason to believe that the car that we have in this last incident here is the same car involved and the same person involved in the kidnapping," Lanier said.

The kidnapping victim was located and is in good condition, she said. She did not identify the suspect, the guard or the officer injured.

The Census Bureau made the following statement:

“There has been an incident at the Suitland Federal Center and there is an ongoing investigation. We are committed to the safety of all staff who work at the Census Bureau and are currently making sure that everyone is safe and secure. We will provide more details as they become available.”