A congressional staff member was arrested Friday morning after carrying a handgun and magazine into the Cannon House Office building, U.S. Capitol Police said.
Capitol Police arrested Ryan Shucard around 9:15 a.m. Friday and charged him with carrying a pistol without a license, a felony.
Shucard is the press secretary for Republican Rep. Tom Marino, who is in his second term representing northeastern Pennsylvania.
A spokesperson for the Capitol Police said Shucard entered the Cannon building Friday morning with a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun and magazine that was discovered by a metal detector.
"It was a total accident," Shucard told News4's Darcy Spencer Friday afternoon. He referred all other questions to Bill Tighe, the congressman's chief of staff.
Shucard is expected to appear in court Saturday afternoon.
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Tighe said Shucard has been placed on unpaid leave.
"He was placed on unpaid leave immediately this morning as soon as we were contacted by Capitol Police," Tighe told NBC News on Friday. "We are cooperating with Capitol Police."
Shucard started with Marino's office in May.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Shucard is a University of Northern Colorado graduate and previously worked for former Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn.
