Man Arrested Outside Capitol With Flare Gun And Torch, Smelling Of Fuel

Capitol Police (USCP) arrested a man at the Capitol who “smelled like fuel” and was carrying a blowtorch and a flare gun on Tuesday, according to a USCP announcement.

The man, whose name was not immediately disclosed, was detained during the screening process to enter the Capitol Visitors Center, according to the USCP. The arrest comes during a time of increased security around the Capitol and elsewhere in Washington, D.C., where barriers have been erected around the White House and the vice president’s residence in anticipation of the election Nov. 5, according to Fox 59 Monday.

“The man smelled like fuel, had a torch & a flare gun,” the USCP said in a post on X.

The suspect’s vehicle was located by the police shortly after the arrest, according to the Capitol Police. The Capitol closed tours as the investigation continues.

The man allegedly had a 25-page manifesto that he intended to deliver to congress, which allegedly contained anti-Israel and government statements, a source told Fox News reporter Chad Pergram. He also allegedly was acting alone and was not on the USCP’s radar for suspects, a source told Pergram.

The man was described as a white man in his late 20s, according to Pergram.