What to Know
- A man in a pickup truck parked outside the Library of Congress on Thursday and said he had explosives, prompting a five-hour-long standoff with police.
- Floyd Ray Roseberry, of North Carolina, was arrested. He livestreamed video from inside the truck and made several anti-government complaints.
- Roseberry’s wife said in an interview with News4 that he left home and said he was going on a fishing trip.
A man drove a pickup truck onto a sidewalk outside the Library of Congress Thursday morning and claimed he had explosives, leading law enforcement to evacuate government buildings and nearby homes as they negotiated with the suspect.
Floyd Ray Roseberry, of Grover, North Carolina, surrendered without incident after an hourslong standoff, Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said at a news conference.
Roseberry was charged Friday and faces two counts: attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and of an explosive device, NBC News reported.
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Exclusive footage from NBC News shows Roseberry get out of the truck with his hands up and crawl away from the vehicle.
The suspect livestreamed video from inside the truck, NBC News reported. Several anti-government complaints could be heard.
Earlier in the day, a photo showed a bald man with a beard in the driver’s seat of the black, mud-splattered truck parked on the sidewalk. He appeared to be talking with someone. Cash was strewn in the street.
Are there explosives in the truck?
Capitol police said, "a bomb was not found in the vehicle, but possible bomb making materials were collected from the truck."
DC Police said it cleared the truck and lifted all road closures at around 4:30 p.m.
Earlier, Manger said it was still unclear whether there were any explosives in the vehicle as crews worked to search the truck and render the scene safe.
A propane container was found in the bed of the truck, but it was believed to be safe.
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“There were things that were concerning” that were found in the truck, though, Manger added, without elaborating.
Who is the bomb threat suspect in the suspicious truck and what do we know about a possible motive?
Floyd Ray Roseberry, 49, is suspected of making the bomb threat, the Capitol Police chief said.
Information on charges against him was not immediately released. It wasn't immediately clear if he has a lawyer.
A possible motive for the threat is still unknown, Manger said.
On a phone call with News4, Roseberry’s wife said her husband left their home overnight and said he was going on a fishing trip. She said she had no idea he was headed to D.C. He recently became more politically active and voted for the first time in his life for ex-President Donald Trump, she said. She said her husband was deeply upset by the results of the 2020 election and also faced mental health issues.
The suspect livestreamed video from inside the truck and made several anti-government complaints, NBC News reported.
The Capitol Police chief cited “issues” Roseberry reportedly faced.
“We do know that Mr. Roseberry has had some losses in his family. I believe his mother has recently passed away. We spoke with members of his family, and there were other issues he’d been dealing with,” Manger said.
There's no indication he was acting with anyone else, Manger said.
FBI agents and members of the sheriff’s office in Cleveland County, North Carolina, went to Roseberry’s home in Grover, a representative for the sheriff’s office told News4.
Where was the bomb threat in DC and what happened?
Roseberry drove a black pickup truck onto a sidewalk in front of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, on 1st Street SE, at about 9:15 a.m., police said. Officers responded to a disturbance call.
Capitol Police said to stay away from the area as the investigation was underway. Road closures were later lifted at about 4:30 p.m., DC police said.
The Library of Congress and three Capitol office buildings were evacuated as police investigated.
D.C. police asked residents of a few nearby blocks to evacuate the area, between Second and Fourth streets SE and A Street SE and Independence Avenue SE. Residents were cleared to return home as road closures were lifted.
FBI Washington Field Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and D.C. police responded to the scene, along with numerous firetrucks and Capitol Police vehicles. Police sent snipers to the area.
Both chambers of Congress are in recess, so there were few lawmakers and staffers in the Capitol complex. Some staffers were seen calmly walking out of the area at the direction of authorities.
This marks the first time Capitol office buildings were evacuated since the Jan. 6 insurrection, News4’s Scott MacFarlane reported live on News4.
The White House said it was monitoring the situation and being briefed by law enforcement.
Roseberry finally got out of the truck and climbed away after about five hours, before 2:30 p.m.
What did the DC bomb threat suspect tell police?
Roseberry told an officer he had a bomb, and the officer reported seeing something that looked like a detonator in the man’s hand, Manger said.
Roseberry communicated with law enforcement by writing on a dry erase whiteboard. Officers dropped a phone down to him but he refused to use it, Manger said.
Capitol Police initially said officers were responding to a "suspicious vehicle" near the Library of Congress.
Orange, Silver and Blue line trains were bypassing the Capitol South Metro station due to the investigation, Metro says. Shuttle buses were requested.
Access to Capitol buildings and streets in the area was restricted.
The FBI is still searching for someone who planted pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee the night before the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
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Capitol Police and D.C. police have been on high alert since Jan. 6.
Officer Billy Evans died in an attack outside the Capitol in April. A man rammed into officers at a barricade and then jumped out of the car with a knife.
Stay with News4 for more on this breaking news.
