US Capitol Police arrested an 80-year-old Georgia man on Wednesday after he admitted to having weapons in his vehicle, according to the agency.
Tony Payne, of Tunnel Hill, Georgia, was charged with unlawful activity for bringing the guns into the Capitol, US Capitol Police said in a statement Wednesday night.
“Around 3:45 p.m., USCP officers observed the van illegally parked along the 100 block of East Capitol Street,” USCP said in the statement. “The driver told us he had guns in the van. A K-9 also hit the vehicle.
Officers found two handguns and a shotgun inside a white van, police said. A pipe and container were also found in the vehicle, according to the release, so the USCP Hazardous Incident Response Unit searched and cleared the truck.
Guns are banned from the US Capitol.
In addition to the driver, authorities arrested a man and a woman during their search of the van. CNN, citing a source, earlier reported that the three were arrested on charges, but the USCP said later Wednesday that the other man and woman taken into custody were not arrested in the incident.
“The individuals told our investigators they were here to deliver documents to the US Supreme Court,” the USCP statement said.
Earlier Wednesday, the USCP had closed several roads in the US Supreme Court area while responding to what the agency called a “suspicious vehicle” and warned people to “please stay away from the area.”
This headline and story have been updated with additional reporting on Wednesday.
