Capitol Suspect ID’d As Man Who Shouted He Was ‘Prophet Of God’ In U.S. House

This story has been updated.

Multiple news organizations identified the armed man who entered the Capitol Visitors Center on Monday as Larry Russell Dawson, 67, who Capitol police confirmed was known to them through earlier incidents.

Citing anonymous law enforcement sources, NBC News reported Dawson, of Antioch, Tennessee, was previously arrested by Capitol police for interrupting a meeting of the U.S. House after shouting he was “a prophet of God” while congressmen were speaking.

Dawson was charged with disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and assaulting a police officer for the October 2015 incident, according to NBC.

Capitol Police Chief Matt Verderosa did not confirm the suspect’s identity in a Monday afternoon press conference but said the man is known to police through “previous contact” with officers.

“I have not received confirmation about who the suspect is. I believe the suspect is known to us,” he told reporters.

Verderosa said during a routine security screening at the Visitors Center around 2:40 p.m., the suspect drew his weapon and pointed it at officers. An officer fired and struck the suspect, who was treated by medical personnel and taken into custody. The man is currently undergoing surgery, but Verderosa said his condition is unknown.

Contrary to earlier reports, the police chief said no officers were injured in the incident. It has not yet been determined how many officers fired on the suspect, he said.

A 35 to 45-year-old female bystander also suffered minor injuries and was transported to the hospital for treatment, Verderosa said.

The chief also said based on the early investigation, there’s “no reason” to believe the incident was “anything more than a criminal act.”

Watch video of Dawson interrupting the House meeting, first flagged by the Daily Beast.