Still illegal to bring a gun to Congress. (Photo by Angela Pan)

Continuing in a long tradition of people getting caught for trying to bring a gun to Congressional buildings, ‎Peter James Boby was arrested when U.S. Capitol Police found a loaded .45 caliber handgun in his vehicle today.

Boby, a Marine, has been serving as a defense fellow in the office of Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA).

He was arrested around 2:00 p.m. at Washington Avenue and C Street SW during an administrative security screening required for entry into the secure perimeter, USCP spokeswoman Kimberly Schneider said via email. He was charged with carrying a pistol without a license, unregistered ammunition, and an unregistered firearm.

When two similar incidents happened within a week of each other last year, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton released a statement lambasting Congress for trying to stop D.C. from enforcing its local gun laws. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who sponsored the amendment, “left behind his professed tea party principles for local control and more power for states and local governments,” Norton said at the time. “If he wants to ‘restore gun rights anywhere I can,’ Congress, where he serves, is surely the place to begin. Given the apparent demand for bringing guns into the Capitol, let’s see if Representative Massie is true to his word and uses his legitimate, direct power over federal buildings to permit guns in them.”

Since then, court rulings have weakened D.C.’s gun laws substantially. But, unless you’re a lawmaker, a staffer acting on behalf of his or her boss, or a member of law enforcement, it remains illegal to bring a licensed gun to U.S. Capitol grounds.
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