A 23-year-old man from Oregon was arrested Wednesday morning after police discovered a stash of weapons inside his parked Subaru on the U.S. Capitol grounds. Capitol Police say the car, which had a tricycle strapped to its roof, was left in a staff-only parking area on the 200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, without proper authorization.
Officers from the Capitol’s First Responders Unit spotted the unusual vehicle around 9 a.m. While inspecting it, they noticed a bow and arrow, a knife, and an empty pistol holster inside. A background check using the license plate identified the driver as Nolan R. Churan.
Police located Churan near the North Barricade of the Capitol. During questioning, he reportedly admitted there were firearms inside the vehicle. A firearms detection dog from the D.C. Metropolitan Police confirmed the presence of weapons or ammunition, prompting a full search by Capitol Police crime scene investigators.
Inside the Subaru, authorities say they found a rifle, handgun, antique rapier sword, halberd axe, multiple knives, a bow and arrow, and a large amount of ammunition, including items that were unregistered or illegal.
Churan now faces several charges, including unlawful possession of firearms, carrying weapons without a license, and having unregistered ammunition and a high-capacity magazine. Capitol Police are continuing to investigate his reasons for being at the Capitol and have not yet found any direct link to Congress. The suspect had no known records with the department.
