30/09/2014 10:20
Officials: Fence jumper made it into East Room of White House
The man who jumped the White House fence earlier this month and breached the mansion's doors actually made it farther than originally thought, officials said Monday, according to CNN.
Omar Gonzalez, a 42-year-old Iraq war veteran who had a knife in his pocket, overcame one Secret Service officer and ran into the East Room of the White House, where he was then subdued, a federal law enforcement said.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who was provided the information by whistleblowers during his congressional investigation into the incident, also confirmed the details of what now appears to be a wild chase through the main floor of the White House, first reported by the Washington Post.
The Secret Service had previously stated that Gonzalez was stopped after entering the front door of the North Portico.
Gonzalez ran through much of the main floor, past a stairway that leads up to the first family's residence, and was ultimately stopped at the far southern end of the East Room. He also reached the doorway to the Green Room, an area that looks out on the South Lawn.
No shots were fired inside the White House, the federal law official said.
The Secret Service has not yet commented on the new details.