Man With Hidden Gun Arrested After Full Capitol Tour

A Massachusetts man was arrested Tuesday at the U.S. Capitol after police discovered he had taken a full tour while having a gun tucked into the waistband of his pants.

The man was arrested outside the Library of Congress, where it was learned that he'd toured the Capitol while possessing a 9mm handgun, ABC News reported Thursday.

Police in Carlisle, Massachusetts, alerted the officials in Washington that the man, who had expressed suicidal ideations on social media, was headed to Washington, D.C., and that he had a gun.

The U.S. Secret Service and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police found him at a hotel early Tuesday, where they interviewed him and searched for a weapon, but did not find one.

Later in the day, the man went to the Capitol Visitor's Center, where he went through a Capitol Police magnetometer screening. An alarm went off and an officer performed a hand search, and the man was allowed to enter the building.

Capitol Police were alerted to his presence and they found him outside the Library of Congress, where they discovered the gun.

The suspect is facing charges of unlawful activities, carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and resisting arrest, reported the Capitol Police, adding that the U.S. Attorney's Office is investigating the case. 

Meanwhile, the officer who did the screening at the visitor's center is on suspension and the USCP's Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating the search.

"A full review of this incident has already been ordered, as well as mandatory refresher training on security screening, so this never happens again," the Capitol Police said in their statement.

The Capitol Police said there was no indication that the man planned to commit any harm, and members of Congress were briefed about the breach Thursday.

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