Man arrested with shotgun at Capitol said he wanted to 'talk' to member of Congress: court docs
Man accused of running toward Capitol building with shotgun says he was there to 'talk' to member of Congress
A judge has ruled that the man accused of charging toward the U.S. Capitol with a loaded shotgun on Tuesday will remain behind bars for now. Officials have also released new photos of the 18-year-old suspect and details on a possible motive. FOX 5's Bob Barnard has the latest.
WASHINGTON - A judge has ruled that the man accused of charging toward the U.S. Capitol with a loaded shotgun on Tuesday will remain behind bars for now.
Officials have also released new photos of the 18-year-old suspect and details on a possible motive.
The backstory:
Shortly after 12 p.m. on Feb. 17, a suspect armed with a shotgun was arrested at the Capitol building on the Lower West Terrace.
The suspect, 18-year-old Carter Camacho of Smyrna, Ga., was quickly arrested by USCP officers.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C., Camacho was carrying a Mossberg Model 88 12-gauge shotgun loaded with seven rounds in the tube and one in the chamber with the safety off.
Officers found an additional 17 rounds of ammunition held in a carrier attached to the shotgun’s stock, and Camacho was wearing a tactical vest and camouflage-style clothing.
USCP officers later found the suspect’s SUV in front of the U.S. Botanic Garden on Maryland Avenue, SW. A gas mask and helmet were spotted inside the vehicle.
Investigators also found a fixed-blade knife on the ground about 40 feet from the vehicle.
New details:
In court documents made public on Wednesday, U.S. Capitol Police investigators say he told them he wanted to "talk" to a member of Congress.
Congress was not in session at the time, and it’s unclear whether any members were in the building at the time.
In the newly released photos captured by security cameras here at the Capitol, Camacho can be seen running toward the Capitol with the weapon.
When Camacho reached the steps on the western side of the Capitol, a USCP officer asked him what he was carrying. Camacho produced the firearm and the officer ordered him to halt and lie down on the ground. He was then taken into custody.
"This was handled very well by Capitol police. The shooter in this case was stopped before he was able to get onto the property itself, on the Capitol property itself. But this could have worked out quite a bit differently had they not reacted so quickly and also that he complied with their instructions that they told him to drop the weapon and get on the ground, and he complied with that," former FBI Special Agent Ken Gray said.
Camacho appeared in court Wednesday afternoon, still dressed in the green fatigues and army boots he was wearing at the time of his arrest.
He spoke clearly and said he was in his second semester of college, but didn't say where.
What's next:
Camacho has been charged with committing unlawful activities, carrying a rifle without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm and having unregistered ammunition.
He also faces an additional federal charge of unlawful possession of a firearm within the United States Capitol buildings or grounds.
He faces up to five years in prison if convicted. He'll remain in custody until his next court appearance March 2.