Pro-Tip: Don't Bring Your Guns Into DC ... Ever

Matt Vespa | June 01, 2015 7:30 PM

Earlier today, a congressional intern for Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) was arrested for trying to bring an unloaded firearm into the Longworth House Office Building (via Reuters):

Joshua Wheeler, 25, of Atchison, Kansas, a summer intern for Republican Representative Lynn Jenkins, was arrested at the Longworth House Office Building around 9 a.m., U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman Kimberly Schneider said.

Police found the unloaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun during a security search as Wheeler entered the building, Schneider said.

He was charged with carrying a pistol without a license and having an unregistered firearm, which are felonies in the District of Columbia.

"It was an accident and poor judgment," said Tom Brandt, a spokesman for Jenkins. He said Wheeler was placed on temporary leave.

These stories are beginning to become somewhat ridiculous. Every gun owner knows that the District of Columbia is insanely anti-gun. It’s not friendly to gun owners, so why are people still bringing their firearms into the city? It’s so absurd that one cannot legally own ammunition in the District unless a person is a licensed dealer, has a firearm license with DC, or has an “ammunition collector’s certificate.”

Also, this isn’t an incident where some intern made a dumb mistake. Last summer, Rep. Tom Marino’s (R-PA) press secretary Ryan Shucard was arrested for trying to carry his firearm into the Cannon Building. Five days later, South Carolina resident Ronald Prestage was arrested for carrying his 9mm Ruger into the same building. Pretsage has a concealed carry permit, but it’s not recognized (of course) in DC.

Folks, if you’re a gun owner, and you’re thinking about bringing your guns into DC–DON’T. David Gregory may have gotten off bringing a high-capacity magazine into the city because he was “too nice a guy.” He’s also a member of the NBC News, has money, and could probably afford a nice lawyer to minimize the legal fallout. Most Americans don’t have that option.

For goodness sake, the DC Attorney General briefly investigated Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) and Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) for their photo featuring Buck’s inoperable AR-15 rifle. Nothing came of it, but the DC Police did say that members of Congress could keep firearms within the confines of their office. They have an exception.