Capitol Police Arrest Man Carrying Firearm a Day After Trump’s Inauguration

A serious security breach by the United States Capitol Police (USCP) came to light after a man carrying a firearm entered the Capitol Complex just one day following President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Authorities were alerted to “a man with reported mental health issues and suicidal thoughts who was believed to be armed and in the area,” according to a USCP press release. Despite being searched, the individual managed to access the Capitol Complex before being apprehended.
“On Tuesday, January 21, the United States Capitol Police (USCP) received a lookout for a man with reported mental health issues and suicidal thoughts who was believed to be armed and in the area,” the release stated. “At approximately 1:15 p.m., USCP officers spotted the man’s car on First Street, near East Capitol Street, NE. Officers conducted a canvass of the area and discovered that the man had recently entered the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) and taken a Capitol tour.”
Roughly an hour later, “at approximately 2:15 p.m.,” officers located the man as he exited the Library of Congress and walked toward his vehicle. Upon being stopped and searched, he was found carrying a concealed 9mm handgun in his waistband. The suspect, identified as 27-year-old James A. Faber from Massachusetts, was arrested on several charges, including Unlawful Activities, Carrying a Pistol Without a License, Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, and Resisting Arrest.
The case is now with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the USCP detailed additional findings in its statement. Security footage revealed that the suspect entered the Capitol through the south CVC checkpoint. After triggering the magnetometers, an officer performed a secondary hand search but allowed the man to proceed. The officer in question has been suspended, pending an internal investigation by the Office of Professional Responsibility.
“At this time, there is no indication that the man was coming to harm the Congress. Thankfully, nobody was hurt,” the release emphasized. “The USCP demands the highest standards when it comes to screening visitors, so a full review of this incident has already been ordered, as well as mandatory refresher training on security screening, so this never happens again.”
Separately, earlier this month, Capitol Police intercepted a man attempting to ignite his vehicle near the Capitol building while President Trump was on-site meeting with senators.
“Twice today our officers stopped a man who could have been a danger to the Capitol Hill community. This vigilance is critical during this time of heightened security,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger remarked.
During Trump’s visit, a 35-year-old Virginia man allegedly tried to set his car on fire. According to reports, “just before 5:30 p.m., USCP officers were alerted to a man who had parked on First Street, NW, near the Grant Memorial, and had lit a bag on fire atop his vehicle,” Fox News reported.
The bag extinguished on its own before officers approached. Out of precaution, the USCP’s Hazardous Incident Response Division cleared the vehicle, which was declared safe by approximately 7 p.m. Investigators noted accelerants in a bag and spray paint on the vehicle, leading to the driver’s arrest on multiple charges.
In another incident earlier the same day, USCP stopped an individual attempting to enter the Capitol Visitor Center with a machete. Officers conducting a security check at the north entrance of the CVC spotted the weapon in the man’s bag and intervened.