WASHINGTON, D.C. (KMID/KPEJ)- A Midland man is facing multiple federal charges after authorities say he opened fire near Secret Service officers along the route of Vice President JD Vance’s motorcade Monday afternoon near the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court, 45-year-old Michael Marx of Midland was charged in connection with the May 4 shooting near the Washington Monument that injured a civilian bystander.
Federal prosecutors said Marx faces three charges: assaulting federal officers with a dangerous weapon, using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Authorities said the incident unfolded around 3:40 p.m. when a plainclothes U.S. Secret Service agent spotted Marx allegedly attempting to conceal a firearm near 15th Street and Madison Drive NW. The agent alerted the Secret Service Joint Operations Center and requested backup.
At the same time, Vice President JD Vance’s motorcade was departing the White House and traveling through the area near 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW, according to court documents.
Uniformed Secret Service officers located Marx along the motorcade route. Prosecutors allege Marx walked toward a group of civilians crossing the street as officers approached him and issued verbal commands.
According to the complaint, Marx then fled east on Independence Avenue SW while officers pursued him. Authorities allege he pulled a handgun from his waistband while running through a crosswalk toward bystanders.
“When Marx reached the sidewalk, he turned and fired at one of the pursuing officers,” the complaint states.
A civilian witness standing behind the officer was struck in the leg by gunfire, according to prosecutors. Officers returned fire, striking Marx in the hand, left arm, and upper abdomen.
Authorities said Marx collapsed at the intersection of 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW, where officers rendered aid before he was transported to George Washington University Hospital.
Court documents state Marx was identified through a Texas driver’s license found on his person. Investigators also identified aliases, including Patrick Michael and Michael Zavici.
While being transported in an ambulance, prosecutors allege Marx made statements including “F— the White House” and “Kill me, kill me, kill me.”
Investigators recovered a Sig Sauer P365 handgun loaded with 9mm ammunition from the scene, according to the complaint. Authorities also stated Marx did not have a license to carry a handgun in the District of Columbia.
“We will prove this defendant carried an illegal firearm into the heart of Washington, D.C., opened fire at Secret Service officers near a crowded intersection, and shot an innocent bystander who was simply crossing the street with his family,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office will pursue the most serious charges available against anyone who brings gun violence to our streets, particularly when that violence unfolds steps from the seat of our government and the path of the Vice President of the United States.”
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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