1998 United States Capitol shooting
Updated: 10/31/2025, 9:50:59 PM Wikipedia source
The 1998 United States Capitol shooting occurred on July 24, 1998, when Russell Eugene Weston Jr. entered the Capitol and fatally shot United States Capitol Police officers Jacob Chestnut and Detective John Gibson. Gibson died during surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center; Chestnut died at George Washington University Hospital. Weston's exact motives are unknown, but he had expressed strong distrust of the federal government of the United States; he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia six years before the attack. Weston was later charged on July 26 for the murder of two U.S. Capitol Police officers during the shooting rampage. As of July 2018, Weston remained in a mental institution.
Infobox
Date
July 24, 1998; 27 years ago (1998-07-24) 3:40 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. (UTC-4)
Deaths
2
Target
United States Capitol
Injured
3 (including the perpetrator)
Weapons
caliber Smith & Wesson revolver
Location
Washington, D.C., US
Attack type
Mass shooting
Perpetrator
Russell Eugene Weston Jr.
Tables
· External links
Preceded byClaude Pepper
Preceded byClaude Pepper
Honorary titles
Preceded byClaude Pepper
Honorary titles
Persons who have lain in state or honorin the United States Capitol rotunda(John Gibson and Jacob Chestnut) June 28, 1998
Honorary titles
Succeeded byRonald Reagan
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded byClaude Pepper | Persons who have lain in state or honorin the United States Capitol rotunda(John Gibson and Jacob Chestnut) June 28, 1998 | Succeeded byRonald Reagan |
References
- "2 dead, 2 hurt in U.S. Capitol shooting"https://web.archive.org/web/20061029233005/http://www.cnn.com/US/9807/24/dc.shooting.03/
- Heavy.comhttps://heavy.com/news/2018/02/jacob-chestnut-john-gibson-lying-lain-in-honor-capitol-police/
- Killing Congress: Assassinations, Attempted Assassinations and Other Violence against Members of Congresshttps://books.google.com/books?id=MQkWBAAAQBAJ&q=1998+%22shooting%22+%22Weston%22+strong+%22distrust%22+of+the+federal+government&pg=PA244
- Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/07/26/weston-charged-with-murder-in-rampage/e40eef50-2480-4566-b023-26f175be75dd/
- Remembering the '98 Capitol shooting (Photos) Archived February 22, 2021, at the Wayback Machine WTOP-FMhttps://wtop.com/media-galleries/2018/07/remembering-the-98-capitol-shooting-photos/
- Roll Call
- CNNhttps://web.archive.org/web/20050913025541/http://www.cnn.com/US/9807/24/dc.shooting.04/
- The Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/shooting/stories/main072598.htm
- "Attack on Capitol Hill"https://web.archive.org/web/20061208155832/http://emergency.com/capshoot.htm
- Tampa Bay Timeshttps://archive.today/20250623235029/https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/07/26/tapes-reveal-details-of-tragedy/
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/25/us/capitol-hill-slayings-the-overview-gunman-invades-capitol-killing-2-guards.html
- "Horrifying Capitol ordeal began with officer's execution" Archived August 21, 2019, at the Wayback Machine. The Milwaukhttp://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_19980726/ai_n10434376
- Roll Call
- "Authorizing the use of the Rotunda of the Capitol..."https://web.archive.org/web/20160705000349/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:H.R.4347:
- CNNhttp://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/04/22/capitol.shooting/
- New York Presshttps://web.archive.org/web/20061128114804/http://www.nypress.com/14/29/news%26columns/feature.cfm
- "2 U.S. Code § 1953"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/2/1953
- Renzi, Rickhttps://web.archive.org/web/20081205143229/http://www.house.gov/list/press/az01_renzi/flagfootball.html
- "Jacob Joseph Chestnut–John Michael Gibson United States Capitol Visitor Center Act of 1998 (Introduced in House)"https://web.archive.org/web/20160705000349/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:H.R.4347:
- The Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/shooting/stories/security072698.htm
- "To rename the Document Door of the Capitol as the Chestnut-Gibson Memorial Door. (Introduced in Senate)"https://web.archive.org/web/20190821151552/https://www.congress.gov/
- Politicohttps://www.politico.com/blogs/politico-now/2008/07/capitol-pauses-to-honor-slain-police-officers-010509
- "Lying in State or in Honor"https://www.aoc.gov/nations-stage/lying-state-honor
- "Tribute to slain Vietvet Capitol Police Officer Jacob J. Chestnut: USAF Air Police Officer (SPS), and VSPA member"http://www.vspa.com/t-rip-chestnut-usaf-1998.htm
- Burial Detail: Chestnut, Jacob J (section 4, grave 2764-A) Archived October 16, 2020, at the Wayback Machine – ANC Explohttps://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CghjaGVzdG51dBIFamFjb2IaAWo-/
- H.R.4516 - To designate the United States Postal Service building located at 11550 Livingston Road, in Oxon Hill, Marylahttps://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/house-bill/4516
- Burial Detail: Gibson, John M (section 28, grave 140) Archived October 16, 2020, at the Wayback Machine – ANC Explorerhttps://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgZnaWJzb24SBGpvaG4aAW0-/
- "Capitol Hill slayings: The Police; Congress to Pay Tribute to Slain Officers"https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/27/us/capitol-hill-slayings-the-police-congress-to-pay-tribute-to-slain-officers.html
- "Capitol Hill Slayings: The Suspect; Man Hospitalized in '96 for Ominous Letters"https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/26/us/capitol-hill-slayings-the-suspect-man-hospitalized-in-96-for-ominous-letters.html
- Washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/shooting/stories/weston081098.htm
- Washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/01/23/a-living-hell-or-a-life-saved/b92dec56-08ab-43e1-9fd0-83b540c9c9b8/
- Washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/shooting/stories/weston042399.htm
- "Judge Rules Capitol Gunman Can Be Forced to Take Medicine"https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F07E5DE153BF930A3575BC0A9649C8B63
- Stanford Law Review