A man was arrested at the Capitol for carrying suspicious items and smelling of fuel, while another man in Michigan threatened to carry out a violent attack if former President Donald Trump wins the election.
Election Day in the United States, featuring Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, has been marked by several incidents related to threats, heightening tensions in what is anticipated to be a closely contested election. This afternoon, two arrests were reported.
In Washington D.C., the Capitol Police (USCP) apprehended a man at the Capitol Visitor Center after noticing that he «smelled of fuel and was carrying a flare gun and a flashlight,» according to a statement from the USCP. The man was stopped while passing through security. Upon inspecting his luggage, officers discovered two containers emitting a strong gasoline odor. Police sources indicated that the detainee carried a notebook he expressed a desire to deliver to Congress.
Authorities closed the Capitol Visitor Center as a precautionary measure. «Our officers just arrested a man who was stopped during our screening process at the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC). The man smelled like fuel, had a torch & a flare gun. The CVC is closed for tours for the day, while we investigate. We will provide more information when we can», the USCP stated via X.
Meanwhile, another alarming incident unfolded in Michigan, where a 25-year-old man, identified as Isaac Sissel, was arrested for allegedly threatening to carry out a violent attack if former President Trump were elected. According to federal prosecutors, Sissel sent a threat to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center in West Virginia, warning of his intention to attack the «filthy Christian conservatives» if Trump won the election. The message asserted that the man was armed with a stolen AR-15 rifle and suggested that the FBI would be unable to thwart his plan.
Sissel is scheduled to appear in federal court this afternoon, facing charges for making violent threats. This arrest occurs amid a backdrop of intense political polarization, with an electoral contest marked by heightened security and a tense atmosphere across the country.
The election contest, with Harris and Trump as the primary contenders, is shaping up to be one of the most divisive in recent years, against a climate where threats and security incidents highlight the social and political fractures facing the United States.
