Armed Man Detained Near Former President Bush's Home
An armed man was detained near former President George W. Bush's home in Dallas, Texas yesterday.
The Secret Service, who is required by the nature of their profession to protect every U.S. president for 10 years after leaving office, stopped the man, who somehow made it through the 24-hour security of the exclusive gated community at about 4:30 p.m.
When asked why the currently unidentified man was there, he claimed he had a "spiritual message" for Bush, according to WFAA News.
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The man, who Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan says was "uninvited," was detained, and upon searching his vehicle, agents found a concealed weapon in the glove compartment of the car.
Authorities found that the man was licensed to have a gun in the state of Texas, which has notoriously lenient gun laws. All that is needed is valid state identification to purchase a weapon, and the state has no waiting periods or ban on assault weaponry.
Secret Service continued to question the man, but he was eventually released because the agents did not see him as a threat, according to NBC.
Apparently, this is not the first time strangers have tried to see the former president.
"There have been several incidents in the past of people trying to make it through the gates to get a message to or see former President Bush," WFAA reported.
This time, the man waited for another car, then drove closely behind it to make his way past the security gate and microphones.
Former President Bush and his wife were not at their North Dallas home at the time of the incident.
In the history of the Secret Service, relatively few attacks have succeeded on U.S. presidents. John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Gerald Ford was attacked twice, but left unhurt, and Ronald Reagan was severely injured when shot, but survived surgery.
