U.S. Capitol Police arrested Carter Camacho, a 18-year-old man, after he left a vehicle and ran toward the west side of the Capitol building holding a shotgun, according to Capitol Police. Chief Michael Sullivan said Camacho ran “several hundred yards” toward the building before officers intercepted him, ordered him to put down the firearm, and made the arrest.
Sullivan said Camacho was wearing a tactical vest and gloves and had a Kevlar helmet and gas mask in the vehicle. Sullivan said the shotgun was loaded and that Camacho had additional rounds on him.
At a press conference after the arrest, Sullivan said the case remains under investigation, including why Camacho was heading toward the Capitol and whether lawmakers were the intended target. Sullivan also said the motive inquiry includes whether members of Congress were the target, noting that Congress was not in session at the time.
Sullivan said Capitol Police had video footage of the incident and asked the public for any additional video they might have of what happened. Speaking about the potential consequences, he said, “Who knows what would have happened if we wouldn’t have officers standing here?” and added that the department had run active shooter drills in almost the identical spot in recent months.
Capitol Police also said Camacho was not known to authorities and was not from the local area, and it described the vehicle as not registered to him. The department said Camacho had multiple addresses, and it said he is being held on allegations related to unlawful activities and weapons offenses, including carrying a rifle without a license, an unregistered firearm, and unregistered ammunition.
The arrest drew attention in the context of Capitol security preparations leading up to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, which is scheduled one week later. Sullivan said the incident does not change the department’s plans, adding, “We take the State of the Union very, very seriously.”
The Capitol arrest also comes as Washington’s crime picture continues to be monitored amid the Trump administration’s emergency declaration for the city last August. The AP report said crime in Washington is down considerably so far in 2026 compared with 2025, after Trump declared the emergency and deployed more than 2,000 National Guard members as well as thousands of federal law enforcement officers and agents.
As part of the broader security posture in Washington, the AP report said federal and local officers remain active across the city. It said last week, a Washington man was killed in an encounter with U.S. Marshals Service members, and that authorities said the marshals were responding to a call about a person threatening to kidnap and hurt someone while holding a gun—an incident that is under investigation by the city’s Metropolitan Police amid calls from activists for more transparency.