A staffer for a Pennsylvania congressman was arrested on his way into work this morning because he was carrying a gun in his bag.
"It was a total accident," Ryan Shucard said. He works as a Press Secretary for Representative Tom Marino, who represents the commonwealth's 10th District.
"We've been informed by Capitol Police that we have no reason to believe this is anything other than an accident," said Bill Tighe, Marino's chief of staff.
The pistol, a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun, was discovered along with a magazine clip, by Capitol police when Shucard arrived at work and went through the routine x-ray inside the Cannon Office Building. Shucard is a Virginia resident and has a license to carry, according to Tighe, but the firearms laws in the District of Columbia are different.
Tighe described Shucard as a fantastic worker who was devastated by what happened. "He obviously regrets the situation," Tighe said.
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Shucard was charged with a felony count of Carrying a Pistol Without a License. Rep. Marino made the decision to place him on unpaid leave for an undetermined amount of time. Tighe said Marino felt that public safety was the utmost concern. Marino's district is north of Harrisburg and covers parts of Scranton, Wilkes-Barres and Williamsport.
"People need to be responsible firearms owners and need to understand the laws," Tighe Said.
