JUST IN: Capitol Police Arrest Person Appearing to Have a Gun Near Capitol Entrance

(Photo Credit: Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images)

U.S. Capitol Police arrested a person who appeared to be carrying a gun near the the entrance to the Capitol Building on Tuesday.

The USCP sent an alert to congressional offices and posted the same message on X.

“Our officers just arrested a person with what appears to be a gun near the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Building,” the message said. “Please avoid the area. We will provide more information when new information is confirmed.”

Capitol Police followed that message up about 20 minutes later saying, “at this time, there does not appear to be any other suspects or ongoing threat. Out of an abundance of caution, please continue to stay away from the area while we investigate and collect evidence. Again, at this time, one person is in custody.”

Firearms and other items, including explosives and drones, and prohibited near the Capitol Grounds. “Even if you have a firearm that is legally registered in another state or the District of Columbia, it is still illegal to bring it onto Capitol Grounds,” a message on USCP’s website explains.

Veteran congressional reporter Jamie Dupree posted a picture on X showing a number of cops and some yellow “caution” tape hanging nearby. “View from the Capitol where police arrested a man with a gun,” he posted.

The arrest comes two weeks after Ryan Routh was sentenced to life in prison for his attempted assassination against President Donald Trump leading up to the 2024 election.

Tuesday’s arrest happened around 12:30 p.m. local time. Details on the person arrested have not been released yet; Fox 5 in Washington, D.C. reported Maryland Avenue was temporarily closed between First and Third Streets while cops investigated the scene.

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