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Va. man with a gun arrested near White House, according to police

January 23, 2018 at 5:09 p.m. EST
Starlings fly out of a bush and over the West Wing of the White House at sunset on Jan. 22. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

An Alexandria man was arrested near the White House early Tuesday after authorities said he parked a car near a checkpoint at Lafayette Square and was found in possession of a gun, according to D.C. police.

Authorities said the man parked at Madison Place and H Street in Northwest Washington about 2:30 a.m. Police said the U.S. Secret Service approached the driver, who, according to a report, told them that "the vehicle contained a pressure switch with extra gasoline."

The D.C. police Explosive Ordinance Division searched the vehicle but found nothing harmful, authorities said. But officers who searched the man found a Smith & Wesson handgun loaded with six rounds of ammunition, police said.

Police identified the man as Bryan D. McHugh, 43. He was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, as well as carrying a pistol without a license..A D.C. Superior Court judge on Wednesday ordered McHugh detained until a hearing on Friday.

Court documents filed Wednesday say McHugh told authorities that his "mental GPS" guided him to the White House and that he was seeking treatment.