1 of 2 | U.S. Capitol Police on Tuesday arrested an 18-year-old accused of running toward the Capitol with a loaded shotgun. Photo courtesy of U.S Capitol Police/Release
Police have arrested an armed teenager who was running toward the U.S. Capitol building, authorities said.
The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Carter Camacho of Smyrna, Ga., was apprehended with a loaded shotgun and multiple rounds of ammunition and was wearing a tactical vest and gloves, U.S. Capitol Police said.
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan told reporters during a press conference that the incident occurred shortly before noon Tuesday. He said the suspect parked his white Mercedes SUV in front of the U.S. Botanical Garden, exited the vehicle and started running toward the Capitol building armed with a shotgun.
The suspect was confronted by Capitol Police officers who directed the teenager to drop his weapon, which he did before lying on the ground where he was taken into police custody, Sullivan said.
“Who knows what could have happened if we wouldn’t have officers standing here standing guard like they do every single day,” he said.
A gas mask and a Kevlar helmet were found in the suspect’s vehicle, Sullivan added.
The suspect’s motive was unknown, according to Sullivan, who said he had multiple addresses and the vehicle he drove to the Capitol was not in his name.
Camacho has been charged with Unlawful Activities, Carrying a Rifle without a License, Unregistered Firearm and Unregistered Ammunition, U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement.
Sullivan remarked in a statement that officers now conduct monthly exercises around the Capitol Complex amid an increase in threats targeting the location.
“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,” he said.
The Capitol Complex has been under increased scrutiny since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection attack. According to Capitol Police statistics, officers investigated 14,938 concerning statements, behaviors and communications directed at members of Congress and the U.S. Capitol Complex last year, up from 9,474 in 2024. President Donald Trump granted clemency to more than 1,500 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on his first day back in office.
