Capitol Cops’ Guns: Child Finds Loaded Gun In John Boehner’s Office Bathroom

Capitol cops leave guns lying around in Washington, D.C. offices? It appears so since a child found a loaded gun in John Boehner’s office bathroom at the Capitol, according to reports just published. The event involved a seven- or eight-year-old visiting the U.S. Capitol with his family. The boy stumbled upon a loaded Glock that was hid in the bathroom of House Speaker, John Boehner (R-Ohio), Roll Call reports.

Someone with the security detail left a loaded gun in Boehner’s Suite bathroom on March 24. Apparently, no one realized that a child might find the loaded gun while visiting the Capitol. This is stirring considerable outrage, especially with all of the violence revolving around children and guns. The last place anyone would expect a little boy to find an unsecured gun would be in the U.S. Capitol. This brings warranted concern that Capitol cops’ guns are placed in various locations around the building.

On January 29, there was another loaded Glock found stuffed in a toilet seat cover holder located in the Capitol Visitor Center. It was left there by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s security detail. A worker discovered the gun, according to a source familiar with the situation.

There was yet a third incident in which a gun was found. On the night of April 16, a janitor cleaning the Capitol Police headquarters building on D Street NE found a handgun in “plain sight.”

House Rules Chairman, Pete Sessions (R-Texas), said he wanted Capitol Police to “retrain everyone that carries a gun.”

Glocks don’t have a “traditional safety” lock and will fire if the trigger is pulled, according to the report. McConnell’s detail who left the gun in a “space portion of the complex, lowering the likelihood it would be found by a tourist or visitor.”

The officer in charge of the detail for the January 29 incident was suspended for six days without pay.

Capitol Police spokeswoman, Lt. Kimberly Schneider, released a statement in an email to Roll Call after reports that the child found Capitol cops’ gun.

“The Department takes very seriously all breaches of Department rules and has established policies that address such matters.

“Each disciplinary matter is thoroughly investigated and reviewed, employees are held accountable for their conduct, and they are provided due process in adjudicating these matters.

“Depending on the nature and seriousness of the violation, an employee’s record, and other required considerations, an appropriate penalty is applied, up to and including termination of employment. As a matter of policy, the Department does not routinely discuss internal personnel matters, in order to maintain the integrity of the Department.”

John Boehner and Capitol officials have no comment regarding the child who found the loaded gun in the building — or anything about the other two incidences. New York Post reports that the head of the Capitol Police Board, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, Frank Larkin, referred questions to the Capitol Police.

It’s unknown how many situations like this involving Capitol cops’ guns at the Capitol have taken place since police there aren’t required to report such indiscretions.

[Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images]