A man with a machete and multiple knives was arrested at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
44-year-old Mel J. Horne, of Washington, D.C., was arrested for multiple counts of Carrying a Dangerous Weapon.
The shocking incident unfolded as former President Jimmy Carter was lying in state at the Capitol Rotunda - and before President-elect Trump made an appearance to pay his respects.
According to Capitol Police, Horne was passing through security at the Capitol Visitor Center when police noticed a machete in his bag. They found three more knives in his possession and took him into custody.
"Security screening was temporarily stopped at the north side of the Capitol Visitor Center, while the USCP investigated, but the checkpoint was reopened approximately an hour later," police said.
No information is available at this time about Horne's motive, but Capitol Police said they would provide more details later on.
"Horne will be interviewed by USCP investigators to determine his motive. At this time there is no on-going threat towards the Congress, the U.S. Capitol, or the public."
The man was arrested before Trump arrived at the Capitol to meet with Republican senators and pay his respects to President Carter, who died last month at the age of 100.
Capitol Police shared a statement on Horne's arrest on social media with a picture of the weapons they retrieved: a rusty machete and three switchblades.
USCP Stops, Arrests Man with Machete & Knives at Security Screening: https://t.co/l3CPimfyAt pic.twitter.com/S1zRwt3vg4
— The U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) January 8, 2025
The Capitol was last hit by a deadly attack in April 2021, when a black nationalist rammed his car into a Capitol Police officer, killing him. There have been numerous disturbances since then.
A man was arrested at a Capitol checkpoint in November 2024 with a blowtorch, smelling of fuel.
In a separate incident Wednesday, a Virginia man was arrested for trying to set his car on fire outside the Capitol. The 35-year-old suspect reportedly said to a grounds crew worker, “I have napalm and I’m trying to light it on fire.”
The man lit a bag on fire, which extinguished on its own. Police found accelerants in the bag and took the man into custody.
“Twice today our officers stopped a man who could have been a danger to the Capitol Hill community,” Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said in a statement. “This vigilance is critical during this time of heightened security.”
