Story highlights
NEW: Police say Oscar Ortega, 21, is wanted in connection with the shooting
NEW: An arrest warrant has been issued for him for carrying a dangerous weapon
Shots were reported fired a few blocks from the White House on Friday night
Police have issued an arrest warrant for a 21-year-old man they believe was involved in a recent shooting that occurred between the White House and Washington Monument.
Oscar Ortega is wanted in connection to Friday night’s shooting, which did not lead to any injuries but did rattle people in a district often full of tourists and government buildings, according to a news release Sunday from the United States Park Police.
The arrest warrant issued for Ortega is for carrying a dangerous weapon – a felony – according to police.
The man has ties to Idaho, but is believed to still be in the Washington area, police said.
In addition to naming Ortega, police released his picture and described him as a Hispanic male, 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing about 160 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. He also has several tattoos, including one with three dots on his right hand and another reading “Israel” on the left side of his neck.
A Secret Service official who asked not to be identified reported that gunshots rang out Friday night as two cars sped near the National Mall.
Agents stationed nearby on 16th Street heard the shots, then saw the cars heading west on Constitution Avenue, the official said.
At least one witness saw that someone “jumped out of the vehicle and ran,” but no one was captured, the official said.
After the shooting report, the U.S. Park Police said it recovered a vehicle that had crashed near the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge.
A semiautomatic rifle was recovered from the vehicle, U.S. Park Police spokesman Sgt. David Schlosser said Saturday night.
Investigators think the man may be linked to that vehicle, Schlosser said. He declined to say whether shell casings were found from the reported shooting.
