An 18-year-old man was arrested Monday after law enforcement officers stopped him from advancing toward the U.S. Capitol with a shotgun, authorities said. The U.S. Capitol Police spotted the suspect carrying a long gun as he walked near the Capitol grounds.
Without firing a shot or reporting any injuries, officers intervened and took the individual into custody. Law enforcement sources said the suspect did not enter any restricted buildings or breach secured perimeters before his arrest.
Capital Police Chief Michael Sullivan reported that a man named Carter Camacho, hailing from Smyrna, Georgia, was taken into custody after parking a Mercedes SUV near the Capitol. He exited the vehicle and sprinted “several hundred yards” toward the building while brandishing a shotgun. Officers quickly intervened, instructing him to drop the firearm and lie on the ground, according to multiple reports.
Federal and local authorities are still investigating the incident.
During a press conference after the arrest, Sullivan stated that Camacho was wearing a tactical vest and gloves. Additionally, a Kevlar helmet and a gas mask were found in the vehicle. The shotgun was loaded, and he had extra rounds in his possession, the chief noted.
It’s not clear if members of Congress were the intended targets. Congress was not in session during the incident.
Sullivan said the department has video of the incident and asked the public to share any they have.
“Who knows what would have happened if we wouldn’t have officers standing here?” the chief added, noting that the department had undergone active shooter drills in almost the identical spot in recent months.
The U.S. Capitol complex has seen heightened security measures since the 2021 attack on January 6, and officers routinely respond to any armed individuals in the vicinity to ensure the safety of lawmakers, staff, and visitors. Additional details on the suspect’s identity and motive have not been released.
Sullivan stated that Camacho was unfamiliar to authorities and was not a local resident. The chief indicated that the vehicle was not registered to the suspect, who has multiple addresses. Camacho is being held for engaging in unlawful activities, carrying a rifle without a license, and possessing an unregistered firearm and unregistered ammunition, according to a press release from the Capitol Police.
In September, Secret Service agents apprehended a man who climbed over the Treasury Department fence near the White House.
The individual, described as wearing a blazer and sunglasses, was taken into custody after agents ran across the compound to intercept him.
He was later transported to the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District, where he was processed on a charge of unlawful entry, authorities said.
“On Monday, September 29 at approximately 4:55 p.m., an individual scaled the fence on the southeast side of the U.S. Treasury Building and was arrested by U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division officers for unlawful entry,” the agency said in a statement to RealClearPolitic’s Susan Crabtree.
“He was subsequently transported to Metropolitan Police Department’s 2nd District for processing. There was no impact to our protective operations,” the statement continued.
The incident occurred the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was at the White House. Earlier the same day, a Secret Service SUV parked outside the complex caught fire ahead of the visit.
Just the News reported the vehicle’s back seat caught fire, but it’s not clear what caused it.
Photos from the site show fire department personnel arriving to put out the flames, which was contained inside the car as smoke poured out of the front passenger door. The fire was extinguished shortly before 11 a.m. local time, according to reports.
The incidents occurred one day after a gunman opened fire inside a Latter-day Saints church in Michigan, killing at least four people and injuring eight others, including children, before setting the building ablaze.