A Washington, DC man was detained Wednesday after he allegedly tried to slip a machete and three knives into the US Capitol Visitor Center hours before President-elect Donald Trump was due to arrive.
US Capitol Police said they plan to charge Mel J. Horne, 44, who was stopped at an X-ray scanner at the entrance to the legislative complex, with multiple counts of carrying a dangerous weapon.
“Our officers know they cannot let their guard down for one second,” US Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said in a statement. “It is this constant focus and attention to detail that helps keep this campus safe.”
Authorities assessed afterward that there is “no ongoing threat towards the Congress” or the public and intend to interview Horne.
“During security screening at the CVC’s [Capitol Visitor Center’s] north doors, our officers spotted a machete in the man’s bag, stopped the X-ray machine, arrested the man, and secured the machete,” read a statement from the department.
“Three knives were also found in the bag, along with the machete. Security screening was temporarily stopped at the north side of the Capitol Visitor Center while we investigated.”
The incident took place around 2 p.m. It is not clear what, if any, motivation the suspect may have had in trying