The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) announced on Thursday that a man carrying a firearm managed to gain access to the Capitol Complex, despite being searched by officers upon entry. The significant security breach occurred on Tuesday, January 21, just a day after President Trump’s inauguration in the Capitol Rotunda.
According to a press release from the USCP, officers were alerted Tuesday to be on the lookout for “a man with reported mental health issues and suicidal thoughts who was believed to be armed and in the area. Officers were able to spot the man’s car around 1:15 Eastern Time. Upon conducting a canvass of the area, officers found out that the man had recently entered the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) and taken a Capitol tour,” the press release continued.
Approximately an hour later, the man was stopped as he exited the Library of Congress after completing a tour. During a search, officers discovered a concealed 9mm handgun in his waistband. The suspect, identified as 27-year-old James A. Faber of Massachusetts, was arrested on charges including Unlawful Activities, Carrying a Pistol Without a License, Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, and Resisting Arrest.
The armed man gained access to the Capitol Complex even though a U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officer had pulled him aside for a search. A review of security camera footage revealed that the suspect entered the visitor’s center through a Capitol Police checkpoint. When the magnetometers were triggered, an officer conducted a secondary hand search but ultimately allowed the man to proceed into the building.
The officer who allowed the armed suspect to enter the building has been suspended while the USCP Office of Professional Responsibility investigates the incident and the officer’s performance, according to authorities. “At this time, there is no indication that the man was coming to harm the Congress. Thankfully nobody was hurt,” the press release continues. “The USCP demands the highest standards when it comes to screening visitors, so a full review of this incident has already been ordered, as well as mandatory refresher training on security screening, so this never happens again.”