Law enforcement destroyed a pressure cooker smelling of gasoline discovered near the U.S. Capitol on Sunday evening and arrested the owner of the vehicle in which it was found.
The Capitol Police sent a bomb squad to investigate after noticing the parked, unoccupied vehicle on the National Mall around 5 p.m. Sunday, the Associated Press reported.
The pressure cooker immediately raised concerns because such cookers have been used as explosive devices — including in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, where three people were killed and 260 were wounded.
After closing off the surrounding area, the bomb squad destroyed the pressure cooker and other “items of concern” around 7:45, Police Lt. Kimberly Schneider told the AP. She said the device was disrupted safety, although it produced a “loud bang.”
Authorities also arrested the vehicle’s owner, Israel Shimeles, an Alexandria, Virginia resident. Schneider said he was charged with “operating after revocation” but didn’t further explain the charge to the AP.
It’s unclear how many people were nearby at the time, although law enforcement said a concert was going on nearby as they conducted their investigation.
The D.C. Metropolitan Police, U.S. Park Police, the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force also assisted the Capitol Police.
