The Department of Justice (DOJ) on May 29, 2026, indicted Michael Marx, a 45-year-old resident of Midland, Texas, for his alleged involvement in a shooting near the Washington Monument earlier this month. Marx faces charges of using a deadly weapon to assault a law enforcement officer and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
The incident occurred on May 4, 2026, at approximately 3:40 p.m., when a U.S. Secret Service agent observed Marx appearing to conceal a firearm near 15th Street and Madison Drive NW. The agent alerted the Secret Service Joint Operations Center, and backup was requested. At the time, the motorcade of Vice President JD Vance was departing the White House and moving through the area of 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW.
Uniformed Secret Service officers responded and located Marx along the motorcade route. As officers approached, Marx walked toward a group of civilians crossing the street. Officers issued verbal commands, but Marx fled east on Independence Avenue SW. During the pursuit, he allegedly drew a firearm from his waistband while running through a crosswalk toward bystanders. When Marx reached the sidewalk, he turned and fired at one of the pursuing officers. A civilian standing nearby was struck in the leg.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated that prosecutors will prove Marx carried an illegal firearm into downtown Washington, D.C., opened fire on Secret Service officers near a crowded intersection, and shot an innocent bystander who was simply crossing the street with his family. Pirro emphasized that her office will pursue the most serious charges available against anyone who brings gun violence to the streets, particularly when that violence unfolds steps from the seat of the government and the path of the Vice President.
The indictment marks a significant development in the case, as it formalizes the charges against Marx and sets the stage for a legal process that could result in severe penalties if he is convicted.