Man stopped entering U.S. Capitol building with torch lighter and fuel
WASHINGTON – Capitol Police stopped a man attempting to enter the U.S. Capitol building Tuesday smelling of gasoline and carrying a torch lighter and a flare gun, according to the department.
The man was stopped around 1:30 p.m. after hesitating going through security. He had two containers of fuel or "some sort of accelerant" in his backpack and something that looked like a firearm, Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger told reporters.
The backpack smelled like fuel because one of the bottles was leaking. He was also carrying papers and said he planned to "deliver a letter to Congress."
"It's really unknown at this point what his intention was," Manger said. "There's no indication right now that it had anything to do with the election."
Manger said officers are still interviewing the suspect and added that the Israel-Hamas War may have been one of the reasons he attempted to enter the Capitol.
Officers located the man's vehicle parked a few blocks away.
Washington, D.C. is on high alert for potential violence related to the presidential election after the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot took many by surprise. Storefronts are boarded up downtown, and the Capitol Police said the Capitol Visitor Center – where the man attempted to enter the building – will be closed for the rest of the day.