Prosecutors said the Army veteran who allegedly scaled a fence at the White House and made it to the president’s residence with a knife before he was caught, had nearly 800 rounds of ammunition, along with a machete and two hatchets in his car.
READ: SECURITY SCARE: Alleged White House intruder is decorated Iraq combat vet
In a federal court proceeding, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Mudd said that the accused intruder, Omar J. Gonzalez, was a danger to the president, though the 42-year-old reportedly said he did not intend to harm anyone at the White House, and told Secret Service officers when they went after him that he wanted to warn President Obama that “the atmosphere was collapsing.”
Gonzalez is accused of unlawfully entering a restricted building while carrying a dangerous weapon.
His ex-wife and former stepson both describe Gonzalez as a basically good person whose mental state has been on a downward spiral since developing a post-traumatic stress condition after serving in the Army overseas.