U.S. Capitol Police on Friday announced that they stopped an "assault rifle, with an extended magazine" from getting to Capitol Hill.
"Just after 5:00 a.m, a USCP screening team spotted the gun, which was partially wrapped in a blanket in the back seat of a large Ford pick-up truck. The rifle was confiscated at an off-site delivery facility where the Department inspects delivery vehicles before they get to Capitol Grounds," said police in a statement. "Although our investigators are still looking into this case, at this time, there is no evidence that shows this person was targeting the Congress or the Capitol Complex."
USCP noted in the statement that. last year alone, 40 guns were confiscated on or near the Capitol Grounds.
"Even if you have a gun that is legally registered in another state, it is still illegal to bring it on Capitol Grounds, which includes screening facilities like the one from this morning," the police note.
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Washington, D.C. has some of the nation's strictest gun laws, and the prohibition is especially strict around the Capitol Complex to protect the safety of lawmakers.
That being said, there is an exception for members of Congress, who may transport firearms to their own personal offices as long as they are unloaded and stored securely. This was clearly demonstrated in 2020 when Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) posted a viral video showing off an AR-15 hanging on the wall of his D.C. office and daring President Joe Biden and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX) to "come and take it."
The issue was a point of contention after Republicans won back a majority in the House and proceeded to remove the metal detectors installed after the January 6 attack, along with doing away with the explicit ban on lawmakers carrying guns in committee rooms. Firearms are still prohibited within the House chamber itself.
