A Massachusetts man carrying knives and Molotov cocktails was arrested on Monday near the United States Capitol after he told a police officer that he planned to kill top republican officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson, according to federal court records.
The man, Ryan Michael (Reily) English, 24, told a Capitol Police officer near an entrance on the south side of the building that he wanted to kill Scott Bessent, President Trump’s newly appointed Treasury secretary, according to an affidavit filed by a special agent with the Capitol Police. Mr. English, who was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and with carrying a dangerous explosiveon the grounds of the Capitol, had knives, a lighter and vodka bottles with rags in his pockets, according to the affidavit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia.
“English’s thoughts were to use the small bottles of vodka to start fires and later to wrap them in rags soaked in alcohol, light them and throw them at Bessent’s feet,” the affidavit said, adding that Mr. English had also considered stabbing Mr. Bessent if he got close enough.
If convicted, Mr. English would face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on the unlawful possession charge and up to five years for the possession count.
Maria Jacob, a public defender and Mr. English’s lawyer, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Tuesday evening.
Mr. English traveled from his home in Massachusetts to Washington on Sunday and originally wanted to kill Mr. Hegseth — whom he called a Nazi — or Mr. Johnson, the affidavit said. But then he changed his target and decided to go after Mr. Bessent, a billionaire hedge fund manager who on Monday was confirmed as Treasury secretary with strong bipartisan support.
Photographs from the area on Monday showed a glass bottle — possibly one of the bottles that Mr. English had hoped would explode — on the ground.
It was not clear in court records what had caused Mr. English to walk up to a police officer near the Capitol and reveal his plan. Investigators found messages that he had written in which he apologized for the actions that he planned to take. Mr. English believed he would have had to kill at least three police officers to get to Mr. Bessent and “expressed acceptance and content with the possibility of suicide by cop,” the affidavit said.
Mr. English has a detention hearing set for Thursday morning, according to court records.
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