Texas Man Charged After Shooting Near Vice Presidential Motorcade Route
Source: X | DOJ
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A Texas man was charged after allegedly opening fire on Secret Service officers near the Washington Monument while Vice President J.D. Vance’s motorcade was passing nearby. A 15-year-old bystander was struck in the leg, and officers returned fire, wounding the suspect before taking him into custody. Federal prosecutors charged him with assaulting federal officers with a dangerous weapon, using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful firearm possession as a convicted felon.
ANALYSIS
The shooting occurred on May 4 near 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW, just south of the White House and along the route of the vice president’s motorcade. A plainclothes Secret Service agent first observed Michael Marx, 45, of Midland, Texas, near 15th Street and Madison Drive NW appearing to conceal a firearm on the right side of his body. Backup officers responded as the vice presidential motorcade was moving through the area.
As uniformed officers approached, Marx allegedly moved toward civilians crossing the street, fled east on Independence Avenue, and drew a handgun from his waistband. He then allegedly turned and fired at a pursuing Secret Service officer. A 15-year-old civilian standing behind the officer was struck in the leg.
Secret Service officers returned fire, hitting Marx in the hand, left arm, and upper abdomen. Officers rendered aid at the scene before Marx was transported to George Washington University Hospital. While in the ambulance, he allegedly made statements including “F— the White House” and “Kill me, kill me, kill me.”
Investigators recovered a Sig Sauer P365 handgun loaded with 9mm ammunition near where Marx fell. Authorities said he did not have a license to carry a handgun in the District of Columbia. Court papers also identified aliases including Patrick Michael and Michael Zavici, and prosecutors said Marx had a prior drug trafficking conviction in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
The incident reflects a high-risk convergence of armed suspect behavior, crowded public space, and protective movement near federal landmarks. The suspect’s alleged presence along the motorcade path elevated the security significance beyond a conventional street shooting, even though the provided reporting does not establish a confirmed assassination attempt or specific intent to target the vice president. The wounding of a juvenile bystander also underscores the vulnerability of civilians during protective enforcement actions in open urban environments.
The case follows another recent federal protective security incident involving an alleged attempt to attack President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Prosecutors’ inclusion of the motorcade route and proximity to government facilities signals heightened concern over gun violence intersecting with senior official movements in Washington, D.C.
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