U.S. Congress intern arrested for trying to bring gun into office

Reuters
U.S. Congress intern arrested for trying to bring gun into office
Police guard the U.S. Capitol grounds after a shooting took place, in Washington April 11, 2015. (REUTERS/Joshua Roberts) (REUTERS/Joshua Roberts)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An intern for a Kansas congresswoman was arrested on Capitol Hill on Monday when he tried to bring an unloaded handgun to work, according to a police spokeswoman. Joshua Wheeler, 25, of Atchison, Kansas, a summer intern for Republican Representative Lynn Jenkins, was arrested at the Longworth House Office Building around 9 a.m., U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman Kimberly Schneider said. Police found the unloaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun during a security search as Wheeler entered the building, Schneider said. He was charged with carrying a pistol without a license and having an unregistered firearm, which are felonies in the District of Columbia. "It was an accident and poor judgment," said Tom Brandt, a spokesman for Jenkins. He said Wheeler was placed on temporary leave. In two incidents last July, two men were arrested on similar charges after they attempted to enter Capitol Hill buildings with guns. (Reporting by John Clarke; Editing by Ian Simpson and Emily Stephenson)