Georgia man pleads guilty after carrying loaded shotgun on U.S. Capitol grounds

Published July 27, 2026 11:24 PM EDT

An 18-year-old from Georgia pleaded guilty Monday to bringing a loaded shotgun on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol.

What we know:

Carter Camacho, 18, of Smyrna, Georgia, also pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, according to court officials. He is scheduled to appear for a sentencing hearing on Dec. 8.

According to court documents, Camacho parked a Mercedes on Maryland Avenue, Southeast, between First and Third streets on Feb. 17. Around noon, he got out of the vehicle and ran toward the Capitol carrying a 12-gauge shotgun and wearing a tactical-style vest and camouflage clothing.

When Camacho reached the steps on the western side of the Capitol building, a uniformed U.S. Capitol Police officer asked him what he was carrying.

READ MORE | Man arrested with shotgun at Capitol said he wanted to 'talk' to member of Congress: court docs

Camacho then showed the firearm, and the officer ordered him to stop and lie down on the ground.

Once Camacho was on the ground, officers recovered the loaded shotgun with seven rounds in the tube and one in the chamber with the safety off, according to court documents. Another 17 rounds of ammunition were found in a carrier attached to the gun.

After officers put Camacho in handcuffs, he told them he was there to talk to a member of Congress.

According to court documents, officers traced Camacho’s path to the Mercedes and found a fixed blade knife on the ground nearby. During a search of the vehicle, officers found Camacho’s phone, which revealed child sex abuse materials (CSAM).

Investigators determined that he purchased the CSAM and had dozens of images and over 100 videos, according to court documents. 

The Source: This information is from the U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C. 

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