Teenager pleads guilty to charging Capitol grounds with shotgun

Rena RoweJuly 27, 2026

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A georgia teenager, Carter Camacho, pleaded guilty too illegally carrying a loaded shotgun onto the U.S. Capitol grounds. On February 16, 2026, Camacho, 18, traveled from Smyrna, Georgia, to Washington, D.C., purchasing a shotgun beforehand. After arriving in D.C., he changed into military-style attire and ran toward the Capitol with the firearm, stopping only when confronted by law enforcement. Prosecutors revealed that Camacho intended to threaten Congress members to “scare them into speaking the truth” and was found with a handwritten journal expressing a desire to kill members of a group believed to be AIPAC,a pro-Israel lobbying association. He was also charged with possessing and distributing child pornography following a search of his phone. Camacho has been detained as his arrest and is scheduled for sentencing on December 8, 2026.

The Georgia teenager who ran onto the Capitol grounds with a loaded shotgun pleaded guilty Monday to illegally carrying a firearm on the premises, according to court records.

On Feb. 16, 2026, Carter Camacho, 18, of Smyrna, Georgia, armed himself with a newly purchased shotgun and drove from his home to Washington, D.C., stopping overnight to sleep in his car at a rest area, prosecutors said.

After arriving in the district the following day, Camacho changed into what he described as “scary attire” — green camouflage pants, a camouflage blouse, and a tactical plate carrier vest — before parking his car and charging toward the Capitol, according to court records.

Prosecutors said Camacho exited his vehicle carrying a loaded shotgun with a round chambered and the safety disengaged. He ran toward the Capitol and only stopped after reaching the south steps on the building’s west side, where he was confronted by armed law enforcement officers.

This image from video contained in the Justice Department’s memorandum in support of pretrial detention of Carter Camacho, 18, shows Camacho running near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Feb. 17, 2026. (Justice Department via AP)
This image from video contained in the Justice Department’s memorandum in support of pretrial detention of Carter Camacho, 18, shows Camacho running near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Feb. 17, 2026. (Justice Department via AP)
This image contained in the Justice Department’s memorandum in support of pretrial detention of Carter Camacho, 18, shows items Camacho was carrying near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Feb. 17, 2026. (Justice Department via AP)

During a subsequent interview, Camacho gave investigators shifting explanations for his actions but admitted he intended to confront members of Congress and “scare them into speaking the truth,” prosecutors said.

Investigators also recovered a handwritten journal from Camacho’s car that outlined a more violent objective. According to court filings, the note stated, “My objective is to kill all APICA members and corrupt people of the senate/state,” with the original spelling errors preserved, though ostensibly referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobbying group.

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Camacho was also charged with receipt or distribution of child pornography that stemmed from evidence uncovered during a search of Camacho’s phone following his arrest, according to court records.

Camacho has remained in custody since his arrest and is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 8 by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C.

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