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Capitol Police Disclose Major Security Lapse Just One Day After Trump’s Inauguration

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The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) on Thursday announced that a man who was carrying a gun was able to gain access to the Capitol Complex despite the fact that he was searched by officers upon entry. The major security lapse took place on Tuesday, January 21, just one day after President Trump was inaugurated in the Capitol Rotunda.

According to a press release from the USCP, officers were alerted Tuesday to be on the lookout for “a man with reported mental health issues and suicidal thoughts who was believed to be armed and in the area.”

Officers were able to spot the man’s car around 1:15 Eastern Time. Upon conducting a canvass of the area, officers found out that the man had recently entered the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) and taken a Capitol tour,” the press release continued.

About an hour later, the man was found leaving the Library of Congress after completing the tour. He was stopped, searched and placed under arrest after officers discovered a 9mm handgun concealed in his waistband. The suspect, 27-year-old James A. Faber of Massachusetts, was arrested for Unlawful Activities, Carrying a Pistol Without a License, Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, and Resisting Arrest.

Photo: Lorie Shaull

The armed man was able to enter the Capitol Complex despite the fact that he was pulled aside and searched by a USCP officer.

Upon review of security camera footage, investigators determined that the suspect passed through a Capitol Police checkpoint while entering the visitor’s center. After the magnetometers sounded, an officer performed a secondary hand search and the man was allowed to enter the building.

The officer who allowed the armed suspect to enter the building has been suspended while the USCP’s Office of Professional Responsibility conducts an investigation of the incident and the officer’s performance, authorities said. “At this time, there is no indication that the man was coming to harm the Congress. Thankfully nobody was hurt,” the press release continues. “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.”

The latest security lapse comes as the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies have been under intense scrutiny following the attempt on Trump’s life last July. Security personnel have been heavily criticized for allowing the would-be assassin, 21-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, to gain access to a rooftop overlooking then-candidate Trump’s podium.

Crooks was identified as a “person of interest” earlier in the day, though he was still able to gain access to the roof, where he assembled a rifle and managed to squeeze off several shots. The roof was supposed to be covered, though it was ultimately left unmanned due to intense heat,

President Trump on Wednesday announced that Sean Curran, who previously led Trump’s personal Secret Service detail, will be tasked with leading the agency and cleaning up security lapses.

RELATED: Erik Prince Provides Thorough Breakdown Of ‘Catastrophic’ Secret Service Failures