Suspected White House Shooter Arrested

Posted on Nov 16, 2011

Patrik Hedström (CC-BY)

On Wednesday, federal law enforcement officers arrested a 21-year-old Idaho man suspected of firing on the White House late last week. At least one bullet struck the building but no one was hurt. The suspect, Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, has an alleged fixation on things presidential, but officials have not yet determined a motive. —ARK

The New York Times:

The suspect, Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, was arrested at a hotel near Indiana, Pa., at about 12:35 p.m. by the Pennsylvania State Police, acting on information from Secret Service agents in Pittsburgh, the Secret Service said.

… The man, previously referred to in a warrant as Oscar Ramiro Ortega, has a background of legal problems and is said to have a history of aberrant behavior. During an encounter earlier on Friday with the police in nearby Arlington County, Va., he said he was from Idaho Falls. The police there said his family had reported him missing last month.

Gunfire was heard in the vicinity of the White House and the National Mall shortly after 9 on Friday night, and the Secret Service said its officers had seen a car speed away west on Constitution Avenue. A few minutes later, the car was found about seven blocks away, abandoned, with an assault-style semiautomatic rifle inside.

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