A man who “smelled like fuel” and carried a blowtorch and flare gun was arrested Tuesday outside the US Capitol as millions of Americans went to the polls.
The unidentified man was attempting to enter the Capitol Visitor Center when he was stopped during the regular screening process, US Capitol Police said in a statement Tuesday.
Fox News reported that Capitol Police picked up on the odor of fuel and removed the suspect’s soaking clothes before taking him into custody.
According to the outlet, the suspect was also carrying a 25-page manifesto with “anti-government” and “anti-Israel” statements.
It was not immediately clear whether the man, described as a white male in his late-20s who drove all night from Michigan to the nation’s capital, planned to set himself on fire.
“The CVC is closed for tours for the day, while we investigate,” Capitol Police said in their statement. “We will provide more information when we can.”
The visitor center is attached to the Capitol and accessible to the public. It serves as the ticketing location and entrance for tours of the building. It also hosts a gift shop, movie theaters and historic statues.
The incident is just one of several Election Day threats reported across the country — including in the swing state of Georgia, according to a statement by the FBI.
“The FBI is aware of bomb threats to polling locations in several states, many of which appear to originate from Russian email domains,” the FBI said.
None of the bomb threats have been credible, the bureau added.
