During the presidential elections in the United States, a man carrying fuel, a blowtorch lighter, and a flare gun was arrested at the US Capitol. Millions of Americans stepped out to vote for the next presidential term on election day, and even the Capitol Visitor Center had people visit the building. However, with the help of strict security outside the centuries-old building, the unidentified man was captured immediately.
For the unversed, the visitor center is attached to the main building. It is accessible to the public and is a popular location among tourists.
The 28-year-old man's identity has been kept under wraps amid the celebration of election day. According to the New York Post, Capitol Police Chief J Thomas Manger revealed the man was trying to enter the visitor center when he was stopped during the screening process.
During the screening process, officers found a faint odor of fuel coming from the man's backpack and coat. The smell intensified as the officials grabbed the bag from the conveyor belt.
"When they pulled the backpack off the conveyor belt, they noticed a much stronger scent of gasoline," said Manger.
He also added that the officers noted the man was hesitant before putting his belongings through the scanner. Upon scanning the man's backpack, the police found a flare gun, two bottles of accelerant, which might have been gasoline, and a stack of papers.
"It appeared that at least one of the bottles was leaking, and that’s why the backpack smelled so strongly," added Manger.
While the man claimed he wanted to deliver the papers to Congress, the police insisted on going through them. According to Fox News, the papers found in the backpack were a manifesto with "anti-government" and "anti-Israel" statements.
As the police tried to determine where the man came from, they allegedly established that he drove from Michigan to Washington, D.C.
What happened at the US Capitol on election day?
Soon after the incident, the police closed the Capitol Visitor Center for tours. Manger said,
"We’re certainly on a heightened alert and have been for the days till Election Day, today."
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"We have an enhanced posture in terms of our security currently and it’ll just continue through November, through December and January, and beyond the inauguration if need be."
It is still unclear what the man's intent was with the fuel and the flare gun. Whether he was trying to set himself on fire or pull off a stunt related to the elections has not been revealed.
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