The Secret Service aren’t saying who the threat was against, other than to suggest it was against a person(s) that they were protecting:
NBC WASHINGTON – A man has been arrested after police found an assault rifle, a handgun and 90 rounds of ammunition in his possession at the Trump International Hotel in Northwest Washington.
Bryan Moles, 43, of Edinboro, Pennsylvania, was arrested inside the hotel shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday, police said.
According to a charging document, police learned Moles was traveling to Washington, D.C., with a Glock 23 pistol, a Carbon Bushmaster assault rifle and 90 rounds of ammunition. Police said Moles made threatening remarks, but investigators did not disclose who those threats were directed toward.
The Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service “almost simultaneously” received information about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday from Pennsylvania State Police that a man was traveling to D.C., possibly to Trump International Hotel, armed with weapons, Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham said late Wednesday morning. Pennsylvania police received the information via a tip and shared it quickly, Newsham said.
D.C. police and the Secret Service responded and contacted hotel security, who found the suspect’s vehicle in the parking garage. Police found one of the guns in plain view inside the suspect’s car; the other was found in the glove compartment.
Moles had checked himself into the hotel about 1 a.m., Newsham said. Authorities found Moles in the hotel and arrested him.
Here’s the statement from the Secret Service:
.@SecretService statement on Trump Hotel incident pic.twitter.com/mAwM7OaCiS
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) May 31, 2017
“Early this morning, Special Agents from the Secret Service Washington Field Office and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department investigated a report of a potential threat against Secret Service protectees. The Secret Service received information from a concerned citizen and Trump International Hotel Security staff. An individual was subsequently located at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. Agents and officers recovered a semi-automatic assault style rifle and a handgun in the individual’s vehicle. Brian Moles of Pennsylvania was arrested by MPD officers for illegal possession of the firearms.
At no time were any Secret Service protectees at risk. “The Secret Service greatly appreciates its strong partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and all of our law enforcement partners. This investigation is still new and ongoing,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Ebert, Secret Service Washington Field Office.”
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and suggest, given the divisiveness of this country, that it was likely a threat against the president. And I’m glad they neutralized it quickly.
Whoever the concerned citizen is that reported this, kudos. It’s nice to hear about something foiled because of a concerned citizen before blood was shed.