Overview
- An 18-year-old identified as Carter Camacho of Smyrna, Georgia, was ordered held without bond and faces a March 2 court date on a federal charge of unlawful possession of a firearm on Capitol grounds.
- Police say Camacho parked a white Mercedes SUV near the West Front, wore a tactical vest and gloves, and ran toward the Capitol carrying a loaded shotgun and additional rounds.
- Officers confronted him, he dropped the Mossberg Model 88 12-gauge and lay on the ground, and no injuries were reported as the area was briefly closed and then reopened.
- Investigators found a Kevlar helmet and a gas mask in his SUV and noted a knife near the vehicle; the shotgun was loaded with seven rounds with 17 more attached to the stock.
- The motive remains under investigation, and officials say security plans for the Feb. 24 State of the Union are unchanged as threats to Congress have risen to 14,938 recorded incidents in 2025.