Omar Gonzalez, the White House jumper who scaled the White House fences and made it past the lawn, made it far deeper into the White House before being caught than officials previously said, according to a new report from The Washington Post on Monday.
According to the Post who spoke to an anonymous Secret Service source, Gonzalez, who was wielding a knife, was able to make it fairly far inside the White House. An alarm located at the front entrance of the White House meant to notify guards of an intruder had been muted, apparently because of a request from the White House usher’s office.
The officer who was standing near the front door was delayed in responding after learning that Gonzalez was coming her way. Gonzalez barreled past the guard and made it up the stairway that goes to the first family’s living area. From there Gonzalez ran into the East Room, the 80-foot-long area that’s used for presidential addresses and receptions.
Gonzalez was finally stopped by a counter-assault agent who tackled him at the southern side of the East Room, according to the Post. By then, Gonzalez made it to the door of the Green Room that overlooks the South Lawn of the White House.
Secret Service agents previously told the media that Gonzalez had been stopped at the main entry.
About a week ago the Associated Press reported that investigators had found over 800 rounds of ammunition as well as two hatchets and a machete in the car of Gonzalez, a former soldier.
The exact route is not totally clear but TPM compiled a map (below) based on the Post’s description. The circle is where Secret Service initially said Gonzalez was caught and the ‘X’ is where he was actually stopped, according to the new report:
