Via Brandon Pawlinski Instagram.The man who jumped a White House fence Friday and managed to enter the building before being arrested had 800 rounds of ammunition, two hatchets and a machete in his car, federal prosecutors said today.
As the Post reports, 42-year-old Omar Jose Gonzalez appeared in federal court today on “one charge of unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon.” Prosecutors allege that the Iraq war veteran, who is homeless, is a “danger to the president.”
Gonzalez was also arrested earlier this summer in southwestern Virginia after he was found allegedly “carrying a sniper rifle, a sawed-off shotgun and a map of the Washington area with the White House and Masonic Temple in Alexandria, Va., circled.” He was also seen on August 25 near the White House with a hatchet in his waistband. Gonzalez was questioned and released after a vehicle search, the Post reports.
A judge ordered today that Gonzalez be held for one month. His mental competency was not brought up during the hearing, but his family told the Post he’s suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Following the massive breech in security, the Secret Service announced it will conduct an investigation into the incident. Ideas, including setting up security checkpoints near the White House grounds, have already been floated, prompting concern from D.C. officials.
President Obama, who was not in the White House at the time of the incident, said today, “the Secret Service does a great job.”
“I’m grateful for all the sacrifices they make on my behalf and on my family’s behalf,” he said, according to a pool report.