Washington DC - An armed man was recently arrested outside the US Capitol building amid rising threats of violence against lawmakers.

Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan told CNN that Carter Camacho (18) of Smyrna, Georgia was arrested on Tuesday after he arrived in a white Mercedes SUV, jumped out, and charged at the building wearing a tactical vest and yielding a shotgun.

Officers drew their firearms and demanded that Camacho drop his weapon. He complied, lay on the ground, and was quickly arrested.

A search of the vehicle, which was not registered in Camacho's name, uncovered a Kevlar helmet, a gas mask, and additional ammunition.

While authorities are still working to determine a motive, Camacho has been charged with carrying a rifle without a license, having an unregistered firearm and ammunition, and engaging in unlawful activities.

The incident comes as elected officials on both sides of the party aisle have seen spikes in threats of political violence against them in recent years.

In 2026 alone, a California man was arrested in January for threatening Vice President JD Vance and his family during a visit to Disneyland, and a New York man was arrested earlier this month for threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries during an NYC event.

Fortunately, the Capitol building was nearly empty on Tuesday, as lawmakers have been away this week on a pre-scheduled recess.