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       U.S. Capitol Police on Tuesday afternoon arrested a man carrying a long gun in a park near the Capitol and Union Station, according to a department spokeswoman.

       Authorities said it appears no shots were fired. Capitol Police posted on X, previously known as Twitter, that “at this time we have no reason to believe there is an ongoing threat.”

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       At a news conference, police identified the man as Ahmir Lavon Merrell, 21, of Atlanta. A Capitol Police spokeswoman said they expect him to face several charges, including possession of a firearm on Capitol grounds, after he is released from a hospital, where he was taken for observation.

       The spokeswoman, Brianna Burch, said Merrell is a registered sex offender and appears to have mental health issues. Efforts to reach his relatives were not immediately successful.

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       Burch said the man was spotted around 12:45 p.m. walking toward Union Station in Lower Senate Park with a firearm. She said officers repeatedly asked him to stop and put down the firearm. When he did not comply, she said, at least one officer used an electronic stun device while arresting the man.

       She said he fell onto the firearm, which she described as a rifle. No other details were immediately available. The park is between the Capitol and Union Station, near the Russell and Hart Senate office buildings.

       Police said the firearm was recovered and that they were searching the man’s belongings, found in a grocery bag in the park. Authorities did not say what, if anything, was found.

       Burch said investigators do not know how the man reached the District.

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