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Capitol Police Arrest Man With Shotgun

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January 18, 2008 2:58 PM

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf, Jack Date and Theresa Cook Report:  A man carrying a gun has been arrested near the U.S. Capitol at 1st and D Street NE, U.S. Capitol Police Spokesperson Sgt. Kimberly Schneider tells ABC News.

Schneider said the man was spotted with what appeared to be a shotgun as he walked up a street towards the Capitol building.

No one was injured in the incident, and no shots were fired, Schneider said at a press conference Friday afternoon.

A vehicle believed to be associated with the man is being searched at 1st and D Street, NW, Schneider said.  Officers noticed several "items of concern" in the vehicle but Schneider did not elaborate on what those items might be. 

A robot from the force's bomb squad was later seen inspecting a light green, older model truck with a red camper top and Utah license plates that was parked on Capitol grounds.  The robot lifted several items out of the vehicle, including what appeared to be a sweatshirt, and several other unidentified objects.

A loudspeaker announced across the Capitol complex that two loud bangs would be heard as police continue to inspect the vehicle.  At approximately 4:30 p.m., a blast was heard and debris could be seen shooting out of the vehicle.  A short time later, police announced via loudspeaker that they had completed the destruction of the items, but that the investigation is still ongoing.

As a precaution, authorities have evacuated the nearby Teamsters building, due to its proximity to the vehicle being inspected. 

Capitol Police officers were also seen placing a shotgun into an evidence bag.

The suspect, described by Schneider only as a white male, is being held at Capitol Police headquarters, less than a block from where he was apprehended. 

Police have closed the street in front of the headquarters, and have shut down six blocks near the Capitol to all traffic.

ABC News' Vija Udenans and Vic Ratner contributed to this report.

January 18, 2008 in Romney, Mitt | Permalink | User Comments (20)

User Comments

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Saw the headline and thought maybe it was Mitt on his way to go out hunting varmints.

Posted by: Luke | Jan 18, 2008 3:22:27 PM

I saw the headline and thought "How is this possible? Aren't guns illegal in D.C.? Does this mean criminals DON'T obey the law? I thought gun control would end all gun crimes--could the politicians have been wrong?!?"

My mind is BLOWN............

Posted by: gb8898 | Jan 18, 2008 3:26:14 PM

If guns had been legal in DC, no one could have apprehended him until After he killed someone.

Posted by: Andy | Jan 18, 2008 3:35:31 PM

I sure hope it wasnt an assult rifle that Bush lifted the ban on. Whew, imagine that?

Posted by: Kim | Jan 18, 2008 3:36:20 PM

Guns are not illegal in D.C. Handguns are illegal. Rifles and shotguns are legal for law abiding citizens to own.

Posted by: Rick | Jan 18, 2008 3:40:37 PM

laws do not prevent crime. Laws set up definitions of, and consequences for commiting crimes.

Posted by: Louis | Jan 18, 2008 3:46:12 PM

I guess he is mad about the recession or as Mr. Paulson puts it 'slugish economy' as well...

Posted by: Laura | Jan 18, 2008 3:47:29 PM

Ah, thanks Rick. Didn't know shotguns and rifles are legal in D.C. But are they legal to carry in public?

Posted by: gb8898 | Jan 18, 2008 3:55:07 PM

According to GOP bi-laws; it’s only illegal if you’re caught.

Posted by: Citizen1960 | Jan 18, 2008 4:21:50 PM

Long guns are legal in DC only as long as they are kept unloaded and disassembled or bound by a trigger lock, making them rather useless for their intended purpose.

Posted by: To gb8898 | Jan 18, 2008 4:22:28 PM

Maybe he was looking for Dick???

Posted by: chuckinla | Jan 18, 2008 4:34:41 PM

He may or may not have had bad intentions. Who knows? I do have to wonder if there is a correlation between the high crime rate and the lack of civilian firearms. Those rates do seem inversely proportional.

Posted by: Royce | Jan 18, 2008 4:35:01 PM

I am sure that this person will not get the same leniency that Jim Webb received in connection with his handgun incident last year.

Remember, the DC gun laws do not apply to Democrats.

So much for equal protection!

Posted by: Robert Marley | Jan 18, 2008 4:35:22 PM

I remember back in the 80's, some dude with an automatic rifle just casually walked down Pennsylvania avenue and opened fire on #1600...was firing away like he was in Da Nang until a couple people came up behind him and tackled him. That was in the good old days when everybody in DC was on angel dust...

Posted by: Jazz | Jan 18, 2008 4:36:41 PM

You're all idiots. He had a gun in his vehicle, he got out and started walking down the street with it, capice?

You can't do that near the Capitol building, and if I need to tell you that, you have an IQ problem.

Posted by: michiganlady | Jan 18, 2008 4:42:15 PM

Maybe he was going to shoot someone in the foot like Cheney did.

Posted by: shocker | Jan 18, 2008 4:50:58 PM

So this guy is Sen. Webb's assistant. IS that what you're telling me, Robert Marley?

No, I expect not.

I also wonder who this guy is and where he came from.

Posted by: MichiganLady | Jan 18, 2008 5:03:16 PM

Why is this a story?

Posted by: steve | Jan 18, 2008 9:19:11 PM

George Stephanopoulos I don't understand your comments. D.C. is a beautiful town!

Posted by: Ken | Jan 19, 2008 1:29:49 AM

Isn't anyone disturbed over the LACK of details in this story? What "unnamed items" were "suspect", "who is this guy",
and why did Capitol police "blow up" the items?
I don't know about yall, but I'm fed up with suppression of news. Demand details, George! (Stephanopoulos, of course, not the OTHER George-he couldn't identify truth if it slapped him up-side the head.)

Posted by: shortnativetexan | Jan 19, 2008 6:16:49 PM

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