U.S. Capitol Police arrested an intern for Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) Monday morning when he allegedly tried to carry an unloaded gun into a House office building.
Joshua Wheeler, 25, of Atchison, Kansas, was charged with carrying a pistol without a license and possessing an unregistered firearm and taken into custody, according to U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Kimberly Schneider. She said that a search of Wheeler, required for entry into congressional buildings, allegedly turned up an unloaded Smith & Wesson 9 mm handgun.
Jenkin’s office called Wheeler’s behavior “poor judgment,” according to NBC News’ Kelly O’Donnell.
Intern for KS @RepLynnJenkins was arrested for carrying unloaded gun into House office. Her office calls it “poor judgment.”
— Kelly O’Donnell (@KellyO) June 1, 2015
In April, the Washington, D.C. attorney general’s office asked the Metropolitan Police Department to look into a photo of Reps. Ken Buck (R-CO) and Trey Gowdy (R-SC) holding the former’s American flag-bedecked AR-15 rifle in his Capitol Hill office. Capitol Police later clarified that members of Congress were allowed to keep and transport firearms on the Hill as long as they were unloaded and securely wrapped.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Image via Shutterstock / Arina P Habich
