Members of the U.S. Capitol Police monitor the area outside the U.S. Capitol after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a bulletin following the weekend missile strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt
A Maryland man was caught trying to sneak a ghost gun into Congress as members were arriving to the building, CBS's Scott MacFarlane reported Thursday.
He learned that last Tuesday, June 24, police "seized a ghost gun" that the man "attempted to bring through a security checkpoint at the Cannon US House Office Building ... when the US House was in session and was staging a series of committee hearings."
CBS obtained an affidavit saying, “There was no serial number present anywhere on the firearm,” and it was “fully functional.”
The man was from Prince George’s County, Maryland and "is not licensed to carry," MacFarlane said, citing police.
In 2023, there were 18 arrests. Six months into 2025, however, police records show there have been more than 20 arrests due to unlawful firearms possession at the U.S. Capitol.
In 2021, several Republican members complained about — or outright circumvented metal detectors entering Congress. The metal detectors were put in place by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) after the Jan. 6 attacks on the Capitol.
"I am legally permitted to carry my firearm in Washington, D.C. and within the Capitol complex," Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) tweeted at the time, according to Colorado Public Radio. "Metal detectors outside of the House would not have stopped the violence we saw last week — it's just another political stunt by Speaker Pelosi."