A 42-year-old man jumped over the fence of the White House and reached the front door Friday before authorities nabbed him.
Omar J. Gonzales, a native of Texas, entered the White House grounds at 7:20 EDT, just before President Barack Obama and his daughters left the building, a U.S. Secret Service spokesman said. Gonzales was unarmed and was caught inside the North Portico doors of the White House, one of the building's main entrances, reports Reuters. He was arrested and taken to a hospital for examination.
This security breach has raised serious concerns about the heavily guarded building. The Republican Party's Jason Chaffetz, the head of the House of Representatives' subpanel on national security oversight, said the breach was "totally unacceptable" and it was just one of a string of security failings on the Secret Service's watch. "Unfortunately, they are failing to do their job," Chaffetz said, as reported by the Associated Press. "These are good men and women, but the Secret Service leadership has a lot of questions to answer. Was the door open?"
However, spokesman Ed Donovan said that the Secret Service will review the response to "ensure that the proper protocol was followed. "This situation was a little different than other incidents we have at the White House," Donovan said. "There will be a thorough investigation into the incident."
Armed Secret Service officers chased the intruder through the West Wing area of the White House and ordered journalists and staff members to evacuate the building. However, they were allowed in after a while.
A video shows Gonzales running across the White House lawn toward the president's residence. This incident is only one of the many recent cases in which people managed to breach the White House gates.
