A man with a machete and three knives inside his bag was arrested at the entrance to the U.S. Capitol, as members of the public stopped by to pay their respects to former President Jimmy Carter, U.S. Capitol Police said.
According to Capitol Police, the man was stopped at the north doors to the Capitol Visitors Center. Officers spotted the machete in the man’s bag, at which point they stopped the X-ray machine and arrested him.
When searching the bag to secure the machete, they also found the three knives, Capitol Police shared in a statement to social media.
Thousands of visitors from all around the country have been visiting the Capitol Rotunda to pay their respects while Carter lies in state on Wednesday, before his state funeral on Thursday. Those visitors traveled through snow, ice and below-freezing conditions, some lining up before dawn to mourn.
Sandy Sessink, one of those mourners, drove all the way from Michigan to pay her respects in honor of her father, who greatly admired Carter.
“He just was a huge fan of Jimmy Carter’s,” Sessink said. “And we just respect him so much, and I have so much respect for him, and I just wanted to pay my respects. I just feel very strongly about it. And, uh… It’s for my dad,” she said, tearing up at the end.
Former President Jimmy Carter will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda through Thursday morning. People from all over America traveled to D.C. to pay their respects and honor his life. News4’s Megan McGrath reports.
The man with the machete has not yet been identified, and the reason he came to the Capitol with multiple weapons is not yet clear.
He was arrested on multiple charges of carrying a dangerous weapon, Capitol Police said. Authorities will share more information as it becomes available.
Check back with NBC Washington for those updates as they come.
