The United States Capitol Police arrested an 18-year-old man accused of carrying a gun near the west front of the Capitol building on Tuesday afternoon.
The suspect is Carter Camacho of Smyrna, Georgia. He was arrested on charges of unlawful activities, carrying a rifle without a license, an unregistered firearm, and unregistered ammunition.
The USCP said in a news release that Camacho left his vehicle and began running toward the Capitol. He was holding a shotgun, which was loaded, and had a tactical vest along with multiple rounds of ammunition. Capitol Police is still investigating Camacho’s motive.
Police officers surrounded Camacho as he headed toward the building, and he complied. Officers also searched Camacho’s SUV, which was parked in front of the U.S. Botanical Garden, and spotted a gas mask and a helmet inside the vehicle.
The USCP noted that no one was hurt.
“Just last summer, we held an active threat exercise on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol — in the very location where today’s officers stopped the suspect,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan said in a statement. “These now routine exercises are planned monthly and in different areas of the Capitol Complex to keep our officers ready for potential threats just like this.”
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House and Senate members are in recess this week until Monday of next week. Congress is currently in a partial shutdown, after funding for the Department of Homeland Security and related agencies lapsed on Friday.
Democrats and Republicans are currently negotiating, with both parties accusing the other of operating in “bad faith,” indicating that DHS funding will be stalled for the time being.
