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Investigators are working to determine why an 18-year-old Georgia man allegedly ran toward the West Front of the U.S. Capitol armed with a loaded shotgun Tuesday, prompting a swift response from U.S. Capitol Police.
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan said the incident unfolded just before noon when Carter Camacho of Smyrna, Georgia, parked a Mercedes SUV near the Capitol, exited the vehicle and ran “several hundred yards” toward the building carrying a loaded shotgun and additional rounds of ammunition.
Officers intercepted Camacho, ordered him to drop the weapon and get on the ground, and took him into custody without incident, Sullivan said.
Authorities said Camacho was wearing a tactical vest and tactical gloves. A Kevlar helmet and gas mask were recovered from the SUV, along with multiple rounds of ammunition.
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Police identify Carter Camacho of Smyrna, GA as armed person arrested earlier at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. (USCP)
The area outside the Capitol was later cleared and reopened. Police said there did not appear to be any additional suspects or an ongoing threat.
The U.S. Capitol Police’s (USCP) Threat Assessment Section is now investigating Camacho’s motive, including whether members of Congress may have been an intended target, Sullivan said. Congress was not in session at the time of the incident. Officials said Camacho was not previously known to the agency.
Sullivan said the department has video footage of the incident and asked members of the public to provide any additional recordings.
Police identify Carter Camacho of Smyrna, GA as armed person arrested earlier at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. (USCP)
“Just last summer, we held an active threat exercise on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol – in the very location where today’s officers stopped the suspect,” Sullivan said in a news release. “These now routine exercises are planned monthly and in different areas of the Capitol Complex to keep our officers ready for potential threats just like this.”
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Sullivan reiterated during a news conference that Capitol Police conduct active shooter drills every month, including one in nearly the same location in recent months.
“We do those active shooter exercises every single month, and that’s why we do it,” he said. “Who knows what could have happened if we didn’t have officers here standing guard like they do every single day.”
Authorities are seen looking into a vehicle on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, outside the U.S. Capitol Building. (Fox News)
Camacho was arrested on charges including unlawful activities, carrying a rifle without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm and possession of unregistered ammunition, according to Capitol Police. He is not from the Washington area, Sullivan said, adding that the vehicle involved was not registered in the suspect’s name and that he has multiple listed addresses.
The arrest comes one week before President Donald Trump is scheduled to deliver the State of the Union address before Congress. Sullivan said the incident does not alter security planning for the event.
“We take the State of the Union very, very seriously,” he said.
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There have been other security incidents at the Capitol in recent years, including a 2023 arrest of an armed man near the Senate.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman-Diamond, Tyler Olson, Alexandra Koch, Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.