A White House intruder made it much deeper into the White House than officials previously revealed earlier this month, according to a new report.
The man, officials said on Sept. 20, was apprehended just inside the North Portico doors. But a Washington Post report, which cites three people familiar with the breach, states that the intruder -- who the Secret Service identified as Omar J. Gonzalez, 42, of Copperas Cove, Texas -- overpowered a Secret Service agent and ran through much of the main floor, making it as far as the East Room.
He wielded a knife, and there were hundreds of rounds of ammunition in his car parked just outside.
But the man's former stepson says the Iraq war veteran owns "plenty of firepower" that he could have brought with him if he meant any harm. Jerry Murphy said that his former stepfather never goes anywhere without his knife and he's sure Gonzalez didn't intend to hurt anyone.
Although it's not uncommon for people to make the jump over the White House fence, they are typically stopped almost immediately and rarely get very far. Video from the scene showed the suspect, in jeans and a dark shirt, sprinting across the lawn as Secret Service agents shouted at nearby pedestrians to clear the area.
Both President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were in the room earlier that day, on Sept. 19, to announce a new public awareness and action campaign designed to prevent sexual assault at colleges and universities, according to a White House email.
The incident occurred only minutes after Obama and his daughters, along with a guest of one of the girls, left the White House aboard Marine One on their way to Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland where Obama and his family spent the weekend. First lady Michelle Obama had traveled separately to Camp David and was not at home.