Georgia teen pleads guilty following loaded shotgun incident at U.S. Capitol

An 18-year-old Georgia man has pleaded guilty months after authorities said he ran toward the U.S. Capitol carrying a loaded shotgun while wearing camouflage-style clothing and a tactical vest.

Carter Camacho, of Smyrna, Georgia, pleaded guilty on Monday, July 27, to charges including unlawful possession of a firearm within the U.S. Capitol Buildings or Grounds and receipt of visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

The plea comes more than five months after Camacho was arrested on February 17 following an encounter with U.S. Capitol Police officers outside the Capitol.

According to court documents cited by prosecutors, Camacho parked a white Mercedes SUV on Maryland Avenue SE shortly after noon before getting out and running toward the Capitol while carrying a firearm.

Authorities said he was wearing tactical-style gear and camouflage clothing as he approached the western steps of the building. A uniformed Capitol Police officer then asked what he was carrying, and Camacho revealed the weapon.

Officers ordered him to stop and lie on the ground, and he complied.

Police recovered a Mossberg Model 88 12-gauge shotgun that contained seven rounds in the tube and one round in the chamber, prosecutors said.

The firearm’s safety was reportedly off, and an additional 17 rounds were found attached to the shotgun’s stock.

Following his arrest, Camacho told officers he had gone to the Capitol to speak with a member of Congress, according to prosecutors.

U.S. Capitol Police said the officers’ quick response prevented anyone from being injured.

As investigators retraced Camacho’s route back toward his vehicle, they found a fixed-blade knife on the ground approximately 40 feet from the SUV, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The investigation later expanded after officers searched the vehicle and recovered Camacho’s cellphone.

Prosecutors said a search of the device uncovered child sexual abuse material, including dozens of images and more than 100 videos.

Authorities alleged that Camacho had purchased and possessed the material.

Following the February arrest, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan said officers were prepared to respond to potential threats after conducting regular training exercises at the Capitol complex.

"Just last summer, we held an active threat exercise on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol – in the very location where today’s officers stopped the suspect," Sullivan said.

Camacho entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta on July 27. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8.