NEWS ALERT: Thwarting what could have been a deadly tragedy, US Capitol Police made a swift arrest following a stunning discovery.
Specifically, a man from Maryland faces felony charges after security personnel caught him attempting to bring a “ghost gun” into the Cannon House Office Building.
35-year-old Jason White claimed he simply forgot the unserialized weapon was in his bag when approaching security checkpoints at the heavily guarded federal building.
The incident occurred while the House was in session, with lawmakers and staff present for committee hearings.
Security personnel discovered the firearm when White’s bag was scanned by a metal detector.
According to the arrest affidavit, the weapon had no serial number, featured a barrel shorter than 12 inches, and was fully functional.
All of these are the defining characteristics of what constitutes a “ghost gun.”
These firearms are assembled at home from individual parts and do not have any tracking numbers.
Investigators determined White is not licensed to carry a firearm in D.C. and has an expired permit in his home state of Maryland.
This revelation transformed what could have been a simple mistake into a serious felony charge in one of America’s most secure places.
White’s defense that he simply forgot the gun was in his bag highlights the challenges faced by lawful gun owners navigating the patchwork of conflicting firearms regulations across different jurisdictions.
While Maryland has its own restrictive gun laws, D.C.’s regulations are notoriously more severe, creating legal traps for otherwise law-abiding citizens.
The arrest comes as part of a growing trend. Capitol Police have made over 20 arrests for unlawful firearms possession on Capitol grounds in the first half of 2025 alone.
Gun control advocacy group Brady United stated, “Ghost Guns are unserialized (and therefore untraceable) firearms that are put together by components purchased either as a kit or as separate pieces.”
“These firearms are fully functioning guns that are as lethal as a fully finished, serialized firearm,” it continued.
The Biden-Harris administration implemented a controversial rule in August 2022 requiring ghost gun kits and parts to be serialized, sold by licensed dealers, and subject to background checks.
In response, Second Amendment advocates argue that it infringes on Americans’ constitutional right to build their own firearms.
Metal detectors were installed throughout Congress by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi following the January 6 Capitol protests, a measure criticized by many Republican representatives as security theater.
Rep. Lauren Boebert and other pro-gun lawmakers have vocally opposed these restrictions as political stunts designed to stigmatize lawful gun ownership.
