Thursday's incident that officials said was not an accident, but apparently also not part of any larger or organized terrorist plot, sent shockwaves through the American capital coming as it did just two weeks after the Navy Yard shooting that claimed 12 lives.

The chase began around 2:15 p.m. when the woman rammed the outer gate at the White House with her Black Infiniti sedan and then sped down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the Capitol Hill, police said.