Law enforcement officials shared on social media that they stopped a man who had a machete on him from entering the US Capitol building on Wednesday.
The US Capitol Police shared a breakdown of what happened in a series of posts on X on Wednesday afternoon, noting that the man tried to enter via the Capitol Visitor Center.
The man was “stopped and arrested” by officers at around 2 p.m. EST. During an initial screening, a machete was found in his backpack, which ultimately led to the arrest, Capitol Police shared.
Also inside the bag were three other knives, as Capitol Police say he is now facing “multiple charges of Carrying a Dangerous Weapon.”
In a press release, Capitol Police identified the suspect as 44-year-old Mel J. Horne, of Washington, D.C.
“Our officers know they cannot let their guard down for one second,” US Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger shared in the release. “It is this constant focus and attention to detail that helps keep this campus safe.”
The incident comes just days after Jan. 6, when the presidential election was certified, and the fourth anniversary of the Capitol riots, when Trump supporters stormed and breached the building in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 election.
The man’s motives or why he had the knives in his backpack have not been shared at this time. The investigation remains ongoing.