A Capitol Hill staff member was arrested on Thursday morning after bringing a gun through a security checkpoint at the Longworth House Office Building.
The Washington Post reports that the 57 year-old suspect, Jeffrey Allsbrooks, is an employee with the House Chief Administrative Office. Allsbrooks alleged that he forgot the gun was in his bag, and was charged with carrying a pistol without a license. The incident set off a security alert and lockdown in the House offices.
The incident comes at a time of heightened tension over political violence on Capitol Hill, as Congress nears the anniversary of the violent January 6th insurrection and the traumatic months that followed. In July, a man killed Capitol Police Officer William F. Evans and injured another after ramming his vehicle into a security checkpoint; the man was also shot and killed by police. In August, a man stationed his truck outside the Library of Congress and claimed to have a bomb, triggering a morning-long standoff and several evacuations, and shutting down a large area of the Hill. In November, a truck full of knives and a machete was discovered near the DNC Headquarters, triggering one arrest.
Allsbrooks intentions are still unknown. The Post reports that the police did not describe the firearm or confirm whether Allsbrooks has a permit for the weapon.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
