This Is the Arsenal That an Alabama Man Brought to Washington

The weapons cache included a shotgun, an assault rifle, a crossbow, a stun gun, and Molotov cocktails.

A handgun that Lonnie Coffman allegedly carried with him illegally on Wednesday.Justice Department

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On Wednesday morning, Lonnie Coffman, a 70-year-old man from Alabama, parked his pickup truck near the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC, and joined the mob walking toward the Capitol. Later that day, Capitol Police officers saw a handgun in Coffman’s car while investigating reports that pipe bombs had been left in the area. When the officers searched the vehicle, they found a staggeringly large arsenal that included a shotgun, an assault rifle, a crossbow, a stun gun, and Molotov cocktails.

Alongside the weapons were handwritten notes that divided Americans into “good guys” and their enemies. One note listed two phone numbers for offices belonging to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who helped lead efforts to overturn the results of the election. Another stated that Rep. André Carson (D-Ind.) is one of two Muslims serving in Congress.

When he came back to get his pickup truck Wednesday evening, Coffman, carrying two pistols, told law enforcement officials that the Molotov cocktails were made of gasoline and melted Styrofoam, a combination designed to ensure they stuck to their targets as they burned. Now he is facing 17 counts of weapons charges.

Exhibits filed in federal court by the Justice Department on Tuesday show the extent of what Coffman had in a truck parked blocks from the Capitol. 

A 9mm handgun.

 Justice Department

A Windham Weaponry assault rifle.

A Hatfield Gun Company SAS shotgun.

Justice Department

Ammunition for the various weapons found in Coffman’s car.

Justice Department

A crossbow and crossbow bolts.

Justice Department

Camo Smoke. According to one product description, the “military style white smoke allows plenty of time to escape.”

Justice Department

A 200,000-volt stun gun.

Justice Department

Eleven Molotov cocktails in mason jars plugged at the top by golf tees.

Justice Department

One of the handguns Coffman allegedly carried with him on Wednesday.

Justice Department

The other handgun Coffman allegedly carried on Wednesday.

A handwritten note that lists phone numbers for two of Cruz’s Senate offices.

Justice Department

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