A contract employee for the Department of Homeland Security was arrested Monday after allegedly attempting to take a concealed firearm through security at the department’s headquarters, DHS spokeswoman Marsha Catron said.
The employee, an intelligence analyst, was found to be in possession of an unauthorized 9 mm pistol as he went through security screening at the DHS Nebraska Avenue Complex (NAC). Questions seeking additional details, including the employee’s name and the charges filed, were referred to Washington, D.C., police, who didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last month, another Homeland Security employee, Jonathan Wienke, was arrested at the NAC after allegedly carrying a gun onto DHS property without a license. Investigators later determined that Wienke may have been plotting to carry out a violent attack, possibly on senior DHS officials who worked near him.
While investigators are still determining Wienke’s motive and the extent to which he may have plotted, a statement addressing the latest incident by DHS said authorities “have no information to suggest that this individual sought to cause harm,” and attributed Monday’s arrest to “enhanced security and screening measures at the NAC.”
Despite the increased levels of security that were put in place following the arrest of Wienke, Monday’s incident has prompted DHS security officials to evaluate whether even more measures need to be taken to protect employees at the NAC facility.