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Bullet That Hit White House Recovered Days After Shooting Incident & AK-47 Found
Oscar Ortega

Bullet That Hit White House Recovered Days After Shooting Incident & AK-47 Found

Suspect "may have spent time blending in with Occupy D.C. protesters."

WASHINGTON (The Blaze/AP) -- The Secret Service says a bullet hit an exterior window of the White House and was stopped by ballistic glass.

An additional round of ammunition was also found on the exterior of the White House. The bullets were found Tuesday.

The discovery follows reports of gunfire near the White House on Friday. Witnesses heard shots and saw two speeding vehicles in the area. An AK-47 rifle was also recovered.

(UPDATE:Suspect in White House shooting captured in PA)

The Secret Service says it has not conclusively connected Friday's incident with the bullets found on the White House grounds. U.S. Park Police have an arrest warrant out for Oscar Ortega-Hernandez, who is believed to be connected to the earlier incident.

ABC has more on Ortega-Hernandez, who is described as mentally ill:

Police believe the suspect, 21-year-old Oscar Ramiro Ortega of Idaho, is mentally ill. Ortega has an extensive record, ranging from domestic violence to drug charges. Sources say a police investigation has uncovered evidence suggesting Ortega has a fixation on the White House.

[...]

It’s unclear whether Ortega is capable of launching a sophisticated attack, but police are still fearful of what he might do next.

Authorities suspect Ortega has been in the area for weeks, coming back and forth to the Washington Mall.  Before the shooting, he was detained by local police at an abandoned house. U.S. Park police say Ortega may have spent time blending in with Occupy D.C. protesters.

The Washington Times reported about the initial incident on Sunday:

Investigators were led to Mr. Ortega shortly after the incident after examining evidence found in a vehicle abandon about seven blocks west of the incident, near the base of the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge.

Authorities say the White House did not appear to have been targeted.

Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan said witnesses heard shots and saw two vehicles racing west on Constitution Avenue.

He confirmed an AK-47 assault rifle was recovered and that witnesses saw one driver abandon a vehicle, then run across the bridge toward Arlington.

Mr. Ortega is thought to be living in the area and having ties to Idaho. He is described as a white-Hispanic male, about 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 160 pounds with brown eyes and black hair.

 

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