A DPS trooper arrested a suspect in La Grange, southeast of Austin. He has not been charged in the case.
AUSTIN, Texas — A man was arrested Saturday after the Texas Department of Public Safety identified a “credible threat” toward legislators attending Saturday’s “No Kings” protest at the Texas State Capitol.
A DPS trooper arrested the suspect in La Grange, southeast of Austin. The man’s name was not shared, and he was not facing charges.
In an update shared Monday afternoon, DPS said a person had contacted local authorities saying a man was going to the protest with a plan to harm state lawmakers.
DPS said the man was stopped in Fayette County on a traffic stop. He warned the trooper he had a handgun in his car. He was taken into custody for questioning.
What happened Saturday at the Texas State Capitol
The Capitol and Capitol grounds were evacuated around 1 p.m. Saturday “out of an abundance of caution.” Just before 4 p.m., the Capitol grounds were reopened.
A spokesperson for DPS said the agency was continuously monitoring on Saturday and collaborating with other agencies. House Administration Chairman State Rep. Charlie Geren said the threat appeared to be isolated.
Nationwide demonstrations were held to protest President Donald Trump’s policies on the day of a parade in Washington, D.C., celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Army. Saturday was also Trump’s 79th birthday.
The reported threat came after Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in their homes on Saturday morning by a suspect allegedly dressed as a police officer. Vance Boelter is charged with murder and is also accused of critically injuring State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife in another shooting.
Earlier on Saturday, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett said the Minnesota attacks “will not prevent our coming together this afternoon at our State Capitol to show our opposition to Trump tyranny.”
Texas lawmakers like U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) and State Rep. Gene Wu (D-Houston) wanted people to use their First Amendment rights without intimidation or fear.
This is a developing story. We’ll add more details as we learn them.