About 15 minutes ago I received the following alert from the U.S. Capitol police:
North Screening at the Capitol Visitor Center was temporarily closed after 2:00 p.m., and has since reopened. It was temporarily closed while U.S. Capitol Police officers arrested a man who tried to get a machete into the Capitol Visitor Center. During security screening, our officers spotted a machete in the man’s bag, stopped the x-ray machine, arrested the man, and secured the machete. Three knives were also found in the bag, along with the machete. The man is being arrested for multiple charges of Carrying a Dangerous Weapon.
The Visitor Center is the public entrance to the Capitol Building. Visitation is likely to be higher over the next several days as memorial ceremonies for former President Carter continue, and his body lies in state.
Motive, if any, is unknown. Mistake seems unlikely. If it was just the knives then maybe, but there are few circumstances where someone could accidentally carry a machete into a public building.
It may be apropos of nothing, but yesterday a man was arrested in Montgomery County, MD, which adjoins D.C., after attacking people with a machete.
