Secret Service agents assigned to President Joe Biden’s granddaughter, Naomi, opened fire on three individuals seeking to break into their unmarked and unoccupied SUV in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., on Sunday night.
The agents witnessed three individuals breaking the window of the SUV before opening fire. No one was struck by the gunfire and the suspects were seen fleeing in a red car, the Secret Service said in a statement released Monday morning. A regional bulletin was issued to find the culprits.
The nation’s capital has seen skyrocketing levels of carjacking this year, with over 6,000 stolen vehicles as violent crimes have spiked over 40 percent since 2022 in the city.
In early October, Representative Henry Cuellar (D., Texas) had his car stolen at gunpoint in the Navy Yard district. “As Congressman Cuellar was parking his car this evening, 3 armed assailants approached the Congressman and stole his vehicle. Luckily, he was not harmed and is working with local law enforcement. Thank you to Metro PD and Capitol Police for their swift action and for recovering the Congressman’s vehicle,” Cuellar’s chief of staff Jacob Hochberg said in an official statement.
Democratic House Caucus chair Pete Aguilar (D., Calif.) was spotted beside Cuellar at the scene of the crime as the Texas representative was being interviewed by local law enforcement.
“DC’s Metropolitan Police Department is investigating an armed carjacking that happened around 9:30 p.m. in DC’s Navy Yard neighborhood,” Capitol security services confirmed in an official statement. “The victim has been identified as a Member of Congress, so the USCP has investigators working with MPD on this case. Injuries were not reported. Detectives are working to track down the suspects.”
The carjacking came just weeks after Capitol police held discussions with members of Congress about growing concerns for public safety in the city.
In June, aides to Representative Brad Finstad (R., Minn.) were savagely attacked after leaving the Congressional baseball game. “Following Wednesday’s Congressional Baseball Game for Charity, one of my staffers was attacked outside of his residence by an armed gunman,” Finstad wrote following the attack. “In Washington, D.C. and cities across the country, anti-police, soft-on-crime policies have created lawless societies that endanger the public and empower criminal behavior.” A similar incident happened to a staffer of Senator Rand Paul (R., Ky.) in March.
In February, Representative Angie Craig (D., Minn.) was assaulted by an intoxicated homeless person in the elevator of her apartment. “We are very grateful that she is safe and recovering, but appalled that this terrifying assault took place.” House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) said.