A man was arrested Tuesday trying to enter the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center while carrying a torch and a flare gun, Capitol Police said.
“Our officers just arrested a man who was stopped during our screening process at the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC),” police said in a statement on social media. “The man smelled like fuel, had a torch and a flare gun.”
Capitol Police said the visitor center was closed to tours for the rest of the day while they investigated the incident. The House of Representatives and Senate were not in session for the day.
Law enforcement made the discovery around 12:30 p.m. when they asked the man to take off his coat and backpack for screening at a security checkpoint.
“He stood there for a few seconds and then put his stuff on the conveyor belt. As soon as his coat and backpack went through the screening area, U.S. Capitol Police officers saw something that appeared to be a firearm as well as two bottles,” USCP Chief Thomas Manger said. “As they were standing there, one of the officers noticed a faint odor of gasoline. When they pulled the backpack off the conveyor belt, they noticed a much stronger odor of gasoline.”
The suspect was immediately detained, at which point officers found a flare gun and a torch lighter in his jacket. The chief said that the man did not appear to have doused his clothing in gasoline.
The suspect claimed to have papers he wanted to deliver to Congress, Manger added, though his exact intentions and where he came from remain unclear.
“There’s no indication right now that it had anything to do with the election,” Manger said.
The suspect’s identity has not been released, but he’s been described as a 28-year-old white man from Michigan.
The Department of Homeland Security previously warned of D.C.-based threats on Election Day.