US Capitol Police Arrest Man Carrying Flare Gun and Manifesto After

We support our Publishers and Content Creators. You can view this story on their website by CLICKING HERE.

U.S. Capitol Police reportedly arrested a Michigan man at the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) on Election Day. The individual was carrying a flare gun, torch lighter, and bottles emitting a strong gasoline odor.

The incident comes amid concerns of possible election-related violence on and after Election Day.

The authorities told reporters that the suspect had a 25-page manifesto possibly discussing the conflict in the Middle East, though the details of his intentions are still under investigation.

The incident occurred around 12:20 p.m. when Capitol police detained the man as he entered the CVC after smelling gasoline or another accelerant coming from his backpack. “As soon as his backpack and his jacket went into the screening area, U.S. Capitol Police officers staffing that screening area saw what appeared to be something in the shape of a firearm,” Chief J. Thomas Manger told reporters during a press conference.

Manger further explained that the suspect “was detained” and “placed under arrest.”

“We found a flare gun, a lighter, and a torch lighter in his jacket,” he added.

The individual was carrying papers that appeared to be a manifesto of some sort. “He had papers with him that he said his intent was to deliver them to Congress. We’re still going through all of those papers. It’s quite a bit,” Manger told reporters.

In a statement posted on X, Capitol police noted that the CVC “is closed for tours for the day” while the authorities conduct their investigation.

Initial details suggest the man was a White male in his late 20s. It is believed that he drove to the Capitol from Michigan. “The suspect appears to be acting alone and was not on the U.S. Capitol Police’s radar,” according to Fox News.

Manger assured the public that security would remain tight at the Capitol building.

“We’re certainly on a heightened alert and have been for the days up till the election day today. And we have an enhanced posture in terms of our security currently, and it’ll just continue through November, through December, through and through January, all the way through and beyond the inauguration if need be.”

The Department of Homeland Security issued warnings about the possibility of attacks on important buildings like the U.S. Capitol. “DVEs [domestic violent extremists] continue to create, exploit, and promote narratives about the election process or legal decisions involving political figures, and we are concerned that these grievances could motivate some DVEs to engage in violence, as we saw during the 2020 election cycle,” the agency said in a statement.