Authorities have revealed that the gunman arrested outside of the US Capitol was carrying a loaded shotgun.
The would-be assailant is just 18-years-old and was spotted when he began running toward the Capitol with his weapon out, US Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan said Tuesday afternoon at a press conference.
He was wearing a tactical vest and was equipped with additional rounds of ammunition.
As the young man ran towards the Capitol from its western entrance with his shotgun in hand, Capitol Police officers challenged him, authorities said, and the suspect complied.
The 18-year-old is not from the local area and was unknown to authorities before the incident.
USCP originally put out a threat warning just after noon local time, noting an incident near the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace.
‘Our officers just arrested a person with what appears to be a gun near the West Front of the US Capitol Building. Please avoid the area,’ US Capitol Police (USCP) said in a statement.
‘Staff and other personnel are directed to AVOID THIS AREA until further notice,’ the statement added.
A man with a shotgun, rounds of ammunition and a tactical vest ran towards the US Capitol building on Tuesday before being stopped by Capitol Police
A White Mercedes Benz was picture being searched by USCP
The car, suspected to be owned by the 18-year-old would-be assailant, was towed after the incident
Within 30 minutes, USPC announced they had arrested the suspect. Maryland Avenue was momentarily closed between First and Third Streets, SW.
The Lower West Terrace is a hardly ever utilized space on the Capitol’s entrance facing the National Mall. It is most notably used for the swearing in of presidents and has few other ceremonial uses.
Images from the scene showed a number of officers standing near the Lower West Terrace with police tape up as authorities investigated.
Capitol Police has said that there are no other suspects at this time.
The USCP later gave the all clear around 2 pm local time and traffic resumed as normal.
Lawmakers are in recess this week; most representatives and senators are not in Washington or at the Capitol.
‘The fact that I work in a building that’s such a major target is always in the back of my mind when I’m coming into work,’ one hill aide told the Daily Mail. ‘It’s definitely a little unnerving at times, but I’m thankful that the Capitol police do such a great job protecting us & stopping these incidents before they become a tragedy.’
The Capitol Complex and members of Congress have seen a sharp uptick in threats over the last five years.
Two Democratic lawmakers have recently been attacked as threats against members of Congress continue to rise
Recently, the Capitol Police released a threat assessment showing that the number of concerning statements, behaviors and communications directed against lawmakers, their families, staff and the Capitol Complex have risen drastically.
In 2025, the agency investigated 14,938 incidents, a major increase year-over-year from the 9,474 incidents in 2024.
The Capitol Police has been contacted for comment.
There have already been two members of Congress attacked this year.
Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota was sprayed with an unknown substance from a syringe while giving a town hall in Minneapolis.
Days before that, Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost of Florida was punched in the face while attending the Sundance Film Festival.
The man who sprayed Omar and the man who punched Frost were later charged with assault.
