Capitol Police Arrest 18‑Year‑Old Running Toward Capitol With Loaded Shotgun and Tactical Gear
An 18-year-old man was arrested after running several hundred yards from a parked Mercedes SUV toward the west side of the U.S. Capitol carrying a loaded shotgun and extra rounds; he wore a tactical vest and gloves and officers say he immediately complied with verbal commands, with no shots fired. Capitol Police — who temporarily closed nearby streets and emailed Hill offices to avoid the West Front — found a Kevlar helmet and gas mask in the vehicle, said the suspect was not previously known to authorities nor from the area and that the vehicle was not registered to him; motive remains under investigation.
📌 Key Facts
- An 18-year-old suspect was arrested after running from a parked Mercedes SUV several hundred yards toward the west side (West Front) of the U.S. Capitol and being intercepted by Capitol Police.
- Officers gave verbal commands; the suspect immediately complied and no shots were fired.
- Police recovered a loaded shotgun on the suspect, additional rounds on his person, and found tactical gear — a tactical vest and gloves on him and a Kevlar/bulletproof helmet and gas mask in the vehicle.
- Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan said the suspect was not previously known to authorities, is not from the area, the vehicle was not registered to him, and he is linked to multiple addresses; motive remains under investigation.
- Capitol Police emailed congressional offices warning of the arrest and advising Hill staff to avoid the West Front, and posted on X that they temporarily closed several nearby streets while investigating.
- Sullivan noted Congress was not in session, investigators are still determining whether members of Congress were a target, and the department recently ran active‑shooter drills in nearly the same spot.
- Police asked the public for any available video footage of the incident.
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
February 17, 2026
9:27 PM
Police arrest 18-year-old with a loaded shotgun outside Capitol
New information:
- Confirms the suspect exited a Mercedes SUV before running toward the Capitol with the loaded shotgun.
- Clarifies that officers gave verbal commands and the suspect 'immediately complied,' with no shots fired.
- Details additional gear found: tactical vest and gloves on the suspect, plus a bulletproof helmet and gas mask in the vehicle.
- Notes that the vehicle is not registered to the suspect and that he is linked to multiple addresses, with motive still unknown.
9:20 PM
Man arrested for running toward U.S. Capitol building with loaded shotgun, police say
New information:
- Suspect’s age is specified as 18 years old.
- Police confirm he ran "several hundred yards" from a parked Mercedes SUV toward the west side of the Capitol before being intercepted.
- The shotgun was loaded and he carried additional rounds on his person.
- He wore a tactical vest and gloves; a Kevlar helmet and gas mask were found in the vehicle.
- Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan says the suspect was not previously known to authorities, is not from the area, and the vehicle was not registered to him.
- Sullivan notes Congress was not in session and says motive, including whether members of Congress were a target, is under investigation.
- Chief emphasizes the department had recently run active‑shooter drills in almost the same spot and asks the public for any available video footage.
6:14 PM
Suspect arrested with "what appears to be a gun" at U.S. Capitol, police say
New information:
- Axios obtained the internal U.S. Capitol Police email to congressional offices stating officers 'just arrested an unnamed person with what appears to be a gun near the West Front of the U.S. Capitol building.'
- The email explicitly advised Hill staff to avoid the West Front area following the arrest.
- In a follow‑up post on X, Capitol Police said they temporarily closed several streets near the Capitol as they investigated the incident.