US Capitol Police have arrested a man who was trying to enter a congressional office building with a handgun in his bag.
“This morning at approximately 7:40 am, our officers in the Longworth Building spotted the image of a handgun in a bag on the x-ray screen,” a police statement said.
Police said the man was “tracked down and arrested” four minutes after the bag was found and was identified as a staffer with the House Chief Administrative Office, Jeffrey Allsbrooks.
Allbrooks told officers he “forgot” the gun was in his bag. He is being charged with carrying a pistol without a license.
Capitol Police sent a security alert to staffer shortly before 8 a.m, warning them to shelter inside the nearest office, remain quiet and stay away from windows.
The lockdown was lifted shortly after with staffers told to return to normal operations. Police said they would continue to investigate what happened “before, during and after those four minutes.”
The Thursday morning incident is the latest to put Capitol Police on high alert since the January 6 riot, during which hundreds of supporters of Donald Trump stormed the building.
In October, the O'Neill House Office Building, also part of the Capitol complex, was evacuated due to a bomb threat. The Department of Health and Human Services was also evacuated over a bomb threat last month and the nearby Botanical Gardens were evacuated because of a suspicious package.