Man with Rifle Arrested Near U.S. Capitol Building, Reminding Need for Increased Security

On Tuesday, the U.S. Capitol Police arrested a man with a rifle in a park near Senate office buildings across from Union Station in Washington, D.C. The police force said in a post to X, formerly known as Twitter, that the suspect was in custody and it had searched the park and would go through the man’s belongings “out of an abundance of caution.”

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) responded to reports that the arrested individual was carrying an AR-15 ― the weapon of choice for mass shooters.

The Capitol Police said that they received a call about a man with a gun and officers arrested the man in the park across from Union Station, about a 10-minute walk from the Capitol building. One police officer said the man had “an AR-15.”

The police force posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, at around 1 p.m. that they are “working to gather more information and will put out more details when they are confirmed.” The police said that there is no reason to believe there is an ongoing threat.

The incident is a reminder of the need for increased security around the Capitol building and other government buildings in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Capitol Police have been on high alert since the January 6th insurrection. The Capitol Police have not released any further information about the suspect or the circumstances of the arrest.