A man was arrested at the United States Capitol Building with a knife and Molotov cocktails after he revealed that he had intended to kill House Speaker Mike Johnson, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, according to court filings.
In an affidavit filed on Tuesday, it was revealed that Ryan Michael “Reily” English approached a United State Capitol Police Officer “near the South Door of the US Capitol Building,” and revealed that he had two “Molotov Cocktails” and “multiple knives” on him, and “wanted to turn himself in. English reportedly explained that he was there to “Kill Scott Bessent,” and that he had originally traveled to Washington, D.C. with the “intention of killing” Johnson, Hegseth, and “burning down the Heritage Foundation.”
After being detained and searched, it was discovered that English had a “folding knife,” along with “two destructive devices” and “green BIC brand lighter,” according to the affidavit.
ENGLISH was detained and searched by CPO-1 and another Capitol Police Officer (CPO-2). The search of ENGLISH uncovered a folding knife in ENGLISH’s front right pants’ pocket, as well as two destructive devices from the inside pockets of ENGLISH’s jacket. The destructive devices were constructed of 50 milliliter bottles of Absolut brand vodka with a grey cloth affixed to its top. A green BIC brand lighter was also recovered from ENGLISH’s pants’ pocket.
The affidavit continued to explain that when English had left his home on Sunday, January 26, 2025, he had initially reportedly intended to kill Hegseth, “and/or” Johnson, and after he had “stopped at a library in Chevy Chase, Maryland” and had “observed Reddit posts mentioning the confirmation hearings of the Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent,” he changed his target.
With respect to the ENGLISH’s arrest on January 27, 2025, ENGLISH admitted to leaving ENGLISH’s phone at home for surveillance purposes. ENGLISH left ENGLISH’s home in Massachusetts on Sunday, January 26, 2025, again leaving ENGLISH’s phone behind for surveillance purposes, and traveled to the District of Columbia with the intention of killing what ENGLISH referred to as “Nazi” Secretary of Defense, Peter Hegseth, and/or the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnso, and/or burning down the Heritage Foundation, “two blocks from the White House.” These actions were specifically to “depose” these political offices and send a message. ENGLISH admitted to buying an atlas a month ago to navigate ENGLISH’s way to the District of Columbia, given ENGLISH would not have a phone with GPS capability. ENGLISH further admitted that ENGLISH wore clothes to conceal ENGLISH’s appearance when purchasing the atlas and paid cash for the atlas.
On ENGLISH’s way to Washington, D.C., ENGLISH stopped at a library in Chevy Chase, Maryland, observed Reddit posts mentioning the confirmation hearings of the Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, and altered ENGLISH’s target. ENGLISH confirmed that ENGLISH purchased the alcohol bottles for the intended purpose of constructing a destructive device. Originally, 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 as Bessent’s feet.
English reportedly also admitted that if he “was able to get close enough to Bessent,” he “would have stabbed him with the knife that ENGLISH brought from home,” according to the affidavit.
After English had conducted “surveillance of U.S. Capitol Grounds,” he reportedly concluded that he “would have to kill, at least, three U.S. Capitol Police Officers to get to Bessent and kill him,” according to the affidavit. English also reportedly “expressed acceptance and content with the possibility of suicide by cop.”
Politico reported that English is “facing charges for unlawful transportation of a firearm” and for “bringing an incendiary device into the Capitol.”
The post Man Allegedly Plotting to Kill Mike Johnson, Scott Bessent, Pete Hegseth Arrested at U.S. Capitol with Molotov Cocktails appeared first on Breitbart.
