On Monday, just blocks away from the bustling Fiserv Forum where the Republican National Convention (RNC) is taking place in Milwaukee, a tense situation unfolded. A man armed with an AK-47 pistol and wearing a ski mask was arrested, adding a layer of drama to the already heightened atmosphere surrounding the event.
The arrest occurred after Homeland Security Investigators and Capitol Police, who were keeping a vigilant eye on the RNC perimeter, noticed the suspicious man. Dressed in a ski mask and carrying a tactical bag, he was hard to miss.
When the officers approached him, they discovered a gun and a fully loaded magazine inside his bag. His intentions, however, remain unclear, leaving everyone to speculate about what could have been.
Milwaukee Police confirmed to Fox News that the 21-year-old man was arrested around 1 p.m. on the 1200 block of N. 11th Street. Notably, the man did not possess a concealed weapon license, not in Wisconsin nor any other state. As of now, charges are pending review by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.
Fox News reached out to several agencies for more information, including the Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of Homeland Security, but responses are still pending.
This incident is just one of several disturbing security concerns at the RNC. On Tuesday, another serious event occurred when police shot and killed a man about two miles from Fiserv Forum. According to a witness, the man lived in a nearby homeless camp and was brandishing a knife when he was confronted by the police.
In another alarming event on Tuesday, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Minn., reported being assaulted by a protester. He claimed that a member of CODEPINK assaulted him while he was waiting in line to enter the venue. Van Orden described it as an "incident of political violence."
However, CODEPINK presented a different narrative, stating that the woman involved was intentionally bumped into by Van Orden, describing him as a "bald, white member of Congress" who tried to push past her. The activist group firmly denied any assault took place.
These unsettling events unfolded just as the RNC focused on the theme "Make America Safe Once Again." Former President Donald Trump has been vocal about addressing crime in Milwaukee, adding a backdrop of urgency to these incidents.