Court documents reveal that a man with Molotov cocktails was arrested near the Capitol Building on Monday after traveling to Washington, D.C., to allegedly kill House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
An affidavit filed by Peter Campopiano, a United States Capitol Police special agent, identified the suspect in Monday’s arrest as Ryan Michael “Reily” English. According to the affidavit, English approached a police officer at roughly 3:12 p.m. near the Capitol Building and said, “I’d like to turn myself in.” English also told the officer that he “was in possession of multiple knives” and two Molotov cocktails.
The affidavit explained that a search of the suspect resulted in officials finding a knife and lighter in English’s pocket and two “destructive devices” in his jacket that were made with vodka bottles and cloth.
English told law enforcement officials that he was at the Capitol to “Kill Scott Bessent” and admitted that he had more Molotov cocktails located in his nearby vehicle. Officials later discovered a 750-milliliter bottle of vodka in the suspect’s vehicle.
Law enforcement officials also discovered a receipt in English’s pocket which read, “Judith dear god I am so sorry. You must understand I can feel myself dying slowly b/c of my heart. This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters. I love you. This is awful. Im so sorry. I love u. Please stay alive and heal. you can. you are strong enough. F-ck them for pushing us so far. you dont deserve this. Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying. Please survive [7 hearts].”
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The affidavit noted that English left his home in Massachusetts on Sunday and traveled to Washington “with the intention of killing what English referred to as ‘Nazi’ Secretary of Defense, Peter Hegseth, and/or the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, and/or burning down the Heritage Foundation.” The special agent explained that English’s actions were “specifically to ‘depose’ these political offices and send a message.”
According to the affidavit, during a stop on his way to Washington, the suspect “observed Reddit posts mentioning the confirmation hearings of the Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent,” and “altered” his original target. The affidavit also revealed that “in the event English was able to get close enough to Bessent, English would have stabbed him with the knife that English brought from home.”
After surveilling the area around the Capitol, English “surmised” that he would “have to kill, at least, three US Capitol Police Officers to get to Bessent and kill him,” according to the affidavit. “While he acknowledged that his actions would “likely” have placed him in “grave danger,” he “expressed acceptance and content with the possibility of suicide by cop.”
