Authorities are currently investigating the reasons behind the actions of an 18-year-old man from Georgia who allegedly charged towards the West Front of the U.S. Capitol holding a loaded shotgun on Tuesday. This incident triggered a rapid response from the U.S. Capitol Police.
According to U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan, the situation began just before noon when Carter Camacho, a resident of Smyrna, Georgia, parked a Mercedes SUV near the Capitol. He then exited the vehicle and sprinted “several hundred yards” towards the iconic building, equipped with a loaded shotgun and carrying extra ammunition.
Police officers swiftly intervened, instructing Camacho to relinquish his weapon and lie on the ground. He was subsequently detained without any further complications, Sullivan noted.
Officials reported that Camacho was outfitted in a tactical vest and gloves. Inside the SUV, they found a Kevlar helmet, a gas mask, and numerous rounds of ammunition.
Carter Camacho from Smyrna, Georgia, has been identified as the individual apprehended at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. (USCP)
Following the incident, the area around the Capitol was secured and later reopened. Police confirmed that there were no additional suspects and no ongoing threat to public safety.
The U.S. Capitol Police’s (USCP) Threat Assessment Section is now investigating Camacho’s motive, including whether members of Congress may have been an intended target, Sullivan said. Congress was not in session at the time of the incident. Officials said Camacho was not previously known to the agency.
Sullivan said the department has video footage of the incident and asked members of the public to provide any additional recordings.
Police identify Carter Camacho as armed person arrested at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (USCP)
“Just last summer, we held an active threat exercise on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol – in the very location where today’s officers stopped the suspect,” Sullivan said in a news release. “These now routine exercises are planned monthly and in different areas of the Capitol Complex to keep our officers ready for potential threats just like this.”
Sullivan reiterated during a news conference that Capitol Police conduct active shooter drills every month, including one in nearly the same location in recent months.
“We do those active shooter exercises every single month, and that’s why we do it,” he said. “Who knows what could have happened if we didn’t have officers here standing guard like they do every single day.”
Authorities are seen looking into a vehicle on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, outside the U.S. Capitol. (Fox News)
Camacho was arrested on charges including unlawful activities, carrying a rifle without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm and possession of unregistered ammunition, according to Capitol Police. He is not from the Washington area, Sullivan said, adding that the vehicle involved was not registered in the suspect’s name and that he has multiple listed addresses.
The arrest comes one week before President Donald Trump is scheduled to deliver the State of the Union address before Congress. Sullivan said the incident does not alter security planning for the event.
“We take the State of the Union very, very seriously,” he said.
There have been other security incidents at the Capitol in recent years, including a 2023 arrest of an armed man near the Senate.
