The suspect, identified as Carter Camacho of Smyrna, Georgia, was wearing a tactical vest and gloves and had additional ammunition next to a shotgun.
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Published February 18, 2026
Police in Washington, D.C., arrested an 18-year-old man who was seen running toward the Capitol, the seat of the U.S. Congress, with a loaded shotgun and additional ammunition.
Police said Tuesday that the suspect, Carter Camacho, of Smyrna, Georgia, was wearing a tactical vest and gloves and was in possession of a loaded shotgun as well as additional ammunition.
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U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan said the suspect ran “several hundred yards” towards the Capitol, brandishing a combat shotgun, before being subdued by police.
Officers challenged the suspect and ordered him to drop the gun. According to police, the man complied with commands and laid down on the ground, whereupon he was arrested and taken into custody.
Police have not released a motive, saying the suspect’s actions are under investigation, including whether he intended to target the parliament, which is currently in session.
“Who knows what would have happened if the police officer hadn’t been standing here,” Sullivan said at a news conference.
Police later found the suspect’s Mercedes SUV parked in front of the U.S. Arboretum on nearby Maryland Avenue. A gas mask and Kevlar helmet were found inside the vehicle.
Sullivan told reporters the suspect is not known to authorities. “The car is not registered to him and he has multiple addresses,” he added.
The suspect is charged with possession of a rifle without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm and unregistered ammunition, as well as other misdemeanor charges, U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement.
Tuesday’s arrest came a week before U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to deliver his State of the Union address to Congress.
Police said the incident does not change security preparations for the event.
“We take the State of the Union very seriously,” Police Chief Sullivan said.
