WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� A Georgia teenager who charged at the U.S. Capitol armed with a loaded shotgun and wearing body armor and camouflage clothing on Monday to illegally carrying a firearm, court records show.
Carter Camacho, 18, of Smyrna, Georgia, told police officers who apprehended him outside the Capitol on Feb. 17 that he intended to confront members of Congress and 鈥渟care them into speaking the truth,鈥� . But he didn’t make it into the building, and nobody was injured.
Camacho is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 8 by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C. He has remained jailed since his arrest.
Camacho pleaded guilty to two counts: illegal possession of a firearm on Capitol grounds and receipt or distribution of child pornography. The latter charge stems from a search of his phone after his arrest.
Surveillance video captured Camacho exiting a parked car and running toward the west side of the Capitol with the shotgun in his hands. He complied with Capitol Police officers’ commands to stop and get down on the ground.
Camacho told police that he purchased the shotgun for 鈥渉ome defense鈥� less than a week before he drove from Georgia to the Capitol, prosecutors said. He also said he had left pepper spray and other tactical gear in his car 鈥渏ust in case I don鈥檛 want to shoot anyone,鈥� according to prosecutors.
鈥淗e further indicated that he considered using the shotgun to breach a door to be able to enter the Capitol,鈥� they wrote.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
