DC Shooting Suspect Could Be Threat to Obama, Police Say
EmailABC News has learned authorities are increasingly concerned that a man sought in connection with a bizarre shooting incident on the Washington Mall last week may pose a threat to President Obama.
The Secret Service now suspects that a bullet fired in this incident may have hit the White House after a bullet round was found in a White House window, though the round had not yet been conclusively linked to the incident. The round was stopped by ballistic glass behind the historic exterior glass, while an additional round has been found on the exterior of the White House.
Police believe the suspect, 21-year-old Oscar Ramiro Ortega of Idaho, is mentally ill. Ortega has an extensive record, ranging from domestic violence to drug charges. Sources say a police investigation has uncovered evidence suggesting Ortega has a fixation on the White House.
At 9:30 p.m. Friday, police received reports of shots fired in the bustling area of 16th street and Constitution Ave.
Authorities would later find a car in the area. The suspect had fled, but what police discovered inside the vehicle left them deeply concerned: an assault style rifle and empty shell casings.
Police linked the car to Ortega and have been hunting him ever since.
It’s unclear whether Ortega is capable of launching a sophisticated attack, but police are still fearful of what he might do next.
Authorities suspect Ortega has been in the area for weeks, coming back and forth to the Washington Mall. Before the shooting, he was detained by local police at an abandoned house. U.S. Park police say Ortega may have spent time blending in with Occupy D.C. protesters.
President Obama, who is currently on a visit to Australia, was not present at the White House at the time of the incident, and in fact has been out of town for the past week. Secret Service officials are not taking any chances with the security of the President and the White House, though, and want Ortega off the street.
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I wonder if he is an illegal immigrant ?
Posted by: AND | November 16, 2011, 6:18 am 6:18 am
Why, because he has a Latino name? There are millions of Latinos who are US Citizens, many who have served our country with honor and continue to serve, even with their lives. Your rooted bias is obvious and demonstrates the small minds at work. More likely, an extreme right wing nut job, I would say.
Posted by: jake | November 16, 2011, 8:03 am 8:03 am
More likely, an extreme right wing nut job, I would say.
POSTED BY: JAKE | NOVEMBER 16, 2011, 8:03 AM++++ABC reported on GMA that police think that he had been living with the DC OWS movement. So Jake…What part of that is extreme right wing??LOL!!!! He is one of your guys….get over it…
Posted by: william | November 16, 2011, 8:45 am 8:45 am
Constant hateful rhetoric drives crazy people to a target.
Posted by: lexingtonlady | November 16, 2011, 8:50 am 8:50 am
More like an extreme Left wing wacko that think’s Obama has compromised too much.
Posted by: newcountryman | November 16, 2011, 8:51 am 8:51 am
Constant hateful rhetoric drives crazy people to a target.
POSTED BY: LEXINGTONLADY | NOVEMBER 16, 2011, 8:50 AM+++He is on your team…..LOL!!
Posted by: whining occupier | November 16, 2011, 8:58 am 8:58 am
I wonder if he bought the gun from Eric Holder?
Posted by: Obamaroid Ointment | November 16, 2011, 9:11 am 9:11 am
Constant hateful rhetoric drives crazy people to a target.
POSTED BY: LEXINGTONLADY | NOVEMBER 16, 2011, 8:50 AM=========I agree. Obama needs to tone it down.
Posted by: ginny | November 16, 2011, 9:16 am 9:16 am
He is probably a Solyandra investor.
Posted by: wact1 | November 16, 2011, 9:17 am 9:17 am
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Posted by: ty4t2 | November 16, 2011, 9:27 am 9:27 am
Funny, I’ve never heard Obama sound hateful. Make believe world folks, make believe world.
Posted by: lexingtonlady | November 16, 2011, 10:02 am 10:02 am
LexingtonLady; Yeah, he’s not a hater…he’s just is perfecting his finger pointing…we better prepare for it in 2012.
Posted by: newcountryman | November 16, 2011, 10:21 am 10:21 am
This man is NOT mentally ill, he’s just FULL of hate and evil like so many people these days. I pray that this Nation can once again become whole and STOP talk as what I’m reading HERE from YOU people right NOW!!! We are more divided than I’ve EVER seen and we WILL pay dearly for that. Osama Bin Laden HAS succeeded! He has gotten us to turn on one another and has managed to open the gates of STUPIDITY in our politics. Where we ONCE had leaned STATESMEN and people with LOFTY dreams and hopes for the USA, we now have hateful, mean, divisive rhetoric from IDIOTS that want to take over our Nation and make a quick END to what was ONCE the American DREAM!!!
Posted by: demNme5 | November 16, 2011, 10:23 am 10:23 am
Looks like an “Occupy” protester. Wonder if BO supports him.
Posted by: BK.70 | November 16, 2011, 10:30 am 10:30 am
The only threat to Obama is the state of our economy and his flaccid opinion about the quality of our citizens.
Posted by: s | November 16, 2011, 10:56 am 10:56 am
Looks like the White House Insider was right.
Posted by: creeper | November 16, 2011, 11:24 am 11:24 am
there ya go…..damm occupy libs trying to kill their own
Posted by: jimjoe | November 16, 2011, 11:57 am 11:57 am
How’s that DC gun ban working out?
Posted by: oonogil7 | November 16, 2011, 12:00 pm 12:00 pm
The article states: “U.S. Park police say Ortega may have spent time BLENDING IN with Occupy D.C. protesters.” That does not mean he was part of OWS, simply that he used them as a cover, so trying to connect him, politically, to the group is a fallacy. He also has a beard. Does that mean he “must” be Amish or maybe even Muslim? Geez, people.
Posted by: puppyfeet217 | November 16, 2011, 12:08 pm 12:08 pm
Notice the Leftists are covering for one of their violent Occupy Hippies, spinning the he was a right winger. They’ll probably claim he was a Nazi Skinhead Hispanic trained at Hayden Lake, Idaho before the Aryan Nation was kicked out. Just watch the spin.
The left immediately implied Arizona shooter Jared Loughner was a right wing gun nut, then downplayed that angle and claimed he was “mentally ill” when it came out that he was actually a SUPPORTER of Congresswoman Giffords who was P/Od she wasn’t liberal enough.
They did the same thing with the Columbine shooters implying they were right wing gun nuts, even though it turned out they were Heathers movie doomsday copycats that were into very liberal underground music subculture.
Like the Good Dr. Savage has long said: The Bully on the Playground stomps on your foot, then when the teacher appears screams that YOU stomped on their foot.
Some things NEVER change…
Posted by: SavageNation | November 16, 2011, 12:20 pm 12:20 pm
Oh yeah – “blending in with Occupy D.C…” Where was that picture taken of him? Looks like he’s dressed in a lot of layers like someone who’s been outside in the cold for a while???? Ya know, Kinda like what all the other protesters look like who are out in the cold. The main stream media romanticized these Occutards, now they’re trying to disconnect this guy with their beloved movement.
Posted by: mike | November 16, 2011, 12:20 pm 12:20 pm
“spent time blending in with Occupy D.C….” yeah right. Where was that picture of him taken? Looks like he’s dressed in a zillion layers. Has he always had a beard, or perhaps he hasn’t shaved for a while cuz he’s been camping outside for the last month.
Posted by: mike | November 16, 2011, 12:25 pm 12:25 pm
He’s the same far left ilk of the freak that shot Gifford and her supporters (and Rep Judge). Far left liberals who are angry that they aren’t getting even more free stuff. That universal gasp you hear from the liberal media is them being disappointed (again) that this guy isn’t a “tea bagger”. They will minimize their coverage of this, of course.
Posted by: chino | November 16, 2011, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm
The next lame excuse from the left will be that this guy is a right wing plant. Just watch…
Posted by: gary | November 16, 2011, 1:05 pm 1:05 pm
Wouldn’t it be neat if the weapon was one of Obamas Fast and Furious weapons.
Posted by: Bill | November 16, 2011, 1:18 pm 1:18 pm
And it is equally hilarious to me that you rightwhiners are also immediately attempting to disconnect him from your side too. We have NO information on the guy at all, at this point, but the very first thing you guys do is claim “Wellll, he *can’t* be one of ours!” For all anybody knows, he has NO political beliefs one way or the other and is just a plain ol’ whack, but he can’t be one of yours, eh? Makes me laugh out loud.
Posted by: puppyfeet217 | November 16, 2011, 2:41 pm 2:41 pm
The next lame excuse from the right will be that this guy is a a left-wing plant. Just watch…
Posted by: puppyfeet217 | November 16, 2011, 2:42 pm 2:42 pm
MSM going for the tactically neutral and expedient “mentally ill”, in lieu of being able to plausibly and quickly link the shooter to the Tea Party. You can see the MSM and the libs are probing for traction with reference to “IDAHO” (den of right wing crazies as far as libs are concerned).
Posted by: mcleod51 | November 16, 2011, 2:44 pm 2:44 pm