A man who smelled like fuel showed up to the visitors' center of the U.S. Capitol with a torch and a flare gun on Election Day, prompting police to shut down the building to tours for the rest of the day, police say.
U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) said the man was in the process of going through security at the Capitol Visitor Center about 12:30 p.m. when officers discovered the torch and flare gun in his jacket. Inside his backpack, officers found bottles that appeared to have fuel residue and one officer noticed there was a faint odor of gasoline or some type of accelerant on the man, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger said. That odor became much stronger when they opened the backpack, he said.
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Officers arrested the suspect, a 28-year-old Michigan man. Investigators were still questioning him about 3:30 p.m., police said. Police have not yet released his name or provided a possible motive.
Manger said the man had "quite a bit" of papers with him and said he intended to deliver them to Congress. Investigators were still combing through the papers and working to decipher the man's plans.
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"It did not appear that he had doused all of his clothing. … so it's really unknown at this point what his intention was," Manger said.
Investigators tracked the suspect's previous movements and found his vehicle at 9th Street and Maryland Avenue NE. That scene has been cleared, they said.
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Manger said video shows the man walking slowly toward the visitor center and looking around. He said the suspect had heavier clothing than what was necessary for the unusually warm November day.
Once inside the security screening area, the man hesitated for a moment when an officer asked him to put his stuff in the machine, Manger said.
Manger said his department has been on heightened alert for any potential violence on Election Day, but "there's no indication right now that it had anything to do with the election."
Every state attorney general in the country released a letter Monday condemning possible political violence.
“We expect that Americans will respond peacefully” regardless of the outcome, the attorneys general said in the letter.
News4's I-Team found that several states across the country put in new security measures to ensure the safety of election workers.
Last week in Maryland, someone followed a poll worker home from a polling place. The person told police they wanted to "make sure ballots were taken to the correct location."
Experts have told the News4 I-Team for months that support for politically motivated violence is at alarming levels.
