Wooden Guillotine Appears Near US Capitol; Man Carrying It Arrested

A wooden guillotine has appeared near the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Capitol Police announced in a press release that at around 3 p.m. on the 25th (local time), they discovered a guillotine loaded in the bed of a pickup truck illegally parked near the Capitol and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Police confiscated the guillotine and arrested a 35-year-old man, Phylon-Tam-Duy Le, who brought it in the truck, on charges of carrying a dangerous weapon.

Police stated that Le, a resident of Julian, California, drove all the way from California to Washington, D.C., with the guillotine.

Police are investigating the specific motive behind why he brought the guillotine to Washington, D.C.

Le's brother, Calvin, told the Los Angeles Times that the guillotine was intended as a "symbol of grievance," adding, "I don't think my brother is someone who would harm anyone."

Calvin also mentioned that Le was generally dissatisfied with the U.S. political situation, supported neither of the two major parties, and disliked both California Governor Gavin Newsom (a Democrat) and U.S. President Donald Trump (a Republican).

CNN noted that Congress was in recess and lawmakers were not inside the Capitol when Le was arrested, but added that "the arrest comes amid heightened concerns over rising threats of violence directed at members of Congress and U.S. government officials."

According to the Capitol Police, last year the department responded to 15,000 reports concerning concerning statements, actions, and communications targeting lawmakers, their families, staff, and the Capitol complex.

This is an increase of more than 57% compared to 2024.

(Photo: AFP, Provided by U.S. Capitol Police, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.