A man has been arrested carrying weapons near the US Capitol following serious lapses in security screening came to light. Authorities had been on alert after Carlisle, Massachusetts police informed Washington officials about the man, who had shared suicidal thoughts on social media. On Tuesday morning, the US Secret Service and Washington, D.C. police tracked him to a hotel. Officials interviewed him and searched for weapons but found none and the man was let go without further action, according to the media reports.
The next day, the man visited the Capitol Visitor Center, where he underwent a magnetometer screening. Despite the machine raising an alarm, an officer conducted a secondary hand search but allowed the man to enter the building. Capitol police issued a lookout and conducted another search, where a loaded 9mm handgun was found tucked in his waistband.
After this major security breach, the police official responsible for the hand search was immediately suspended. The accused has been booked under charges of “Unlawful Activities, Carrying a Pistol Without a License, Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, and Resisting Arrest.” Capitol police clarified that there was no indication of any intent to harm Congress . According to the media reports, the man, despite being possibly suicidal, was able to freely tour Congress with a firearm among members of the public and lawmakers. Authorities are now investigating how the man was able to bypass security despite the alarm.
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