U.S. Congress staffer arrested on weapons charge

Reuters
Heavily armed U.S. Capitol Police officers guard the U.S. Capitol building in Washington January 4, 2005. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A staff member for a Pennsylvania congressman was arrested on Friday after he tried to carry a handgun and magazine into a House of Representatives office building, U.S. Capitol Police said. Ryan Shucard, press spokesman for Republican Representative Tom Marino, was arrested about 9:15 a.m. (1315 GMT) as he tried to enter the Cannon House Office Building. A metal detector showed he had a 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol and a magazine, police said in a statement. He was arrested and charged with carrying a pistol without a license, a felony. Marino's office said Shucard had been put on unpaid leave. Shucard's LinkedIn profile showed he had been Marino's press spokesman since May. He also is a lecturer and adviser at the Washington Media Institute. (Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Richard Chang)