A man died early Sunday near the US Capitol building after driving his car into a barricade and firing shots into the air before turning his gun on himself, police said.

A statement from the US Capitol Police did not identify the man or speculate on a motive.

Congress is currently in recess, and police said "it does not appear the man was targeting any members of Congress."

The Supreme Court, still behind security fencing after its bitterly divisive ruling on abortion, is also nearby on Capitol Hill.

The incident occurred amid heightened tensions and violence-filled chatter on social media following the surprise seizure of several boxes of classified government documents from former President Donald Trump's Florida resort estate.

The police statement said the man drove his car into a vehicle barricade at East Capitol Street and Second Street shortly after 4:00 am (0800 GMT).

"While the man was getting out of the car, it became engulfed in flames," the statement said.

"The man then fired several shots into the air."

When officers responded to the sound of gunfire and approached the man, "he shot himself," police said.

No one else was hurt.

The DC Metropolitan Police Department is leading an investigation into the man and his background.