A federal indictment names Michael Marx, 45, of Midland, Texas, in the May 4 shooting near the Washington Monument that left a teenage bystander wounded and led to a multi-agency Secret Service response.
The indictment filed today in U.S. District Court charges Michael Marx with assaulting certain officers using a dangerous weapon and with using a firearm during a crime of violence. Marx is expected to make his first appearance in U.S. District Court today before a magistrate judge. Authorities say the incident unfolded in a heavily visited public area near the National Mall.
A plainclothes U.S. Secret Service agent saw a man later identified as Marx appearing to conceal a firearm on the right side of his body near 15th Street and Madison Drive NW at about 3:40 p.m. The agent alerted the Secret Service Joint Operations Center and requested uniformed backup. Around the same time, the motorcade for Vice President J.D. Vance was departing the White House and passing through nearby streets.
Uniformed Secret Service officers located Marx along the Vice President’s motorcade route, and when officers approached, Marx walked toward a group of civilians who were crossing the street. Officers issued verbal commands and Marx fled east on Independence Avenue SW as they pursued him. During that pursuit, Marx drew a firearm from his waistband while running through the crosswalk toward bystanders.
“Today’s indictment reflects the gravity of the defendant’s actions on one of the most heavily visited public spaces in the nation,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “The evidence shows Marx not only carried an illegal firearm into DC, but he fired it at uniformed officers, wounding an innocent teenage bystander who was simply visiting the National Mall with his family on a spring afternoon. When someone brings violence to a place that symbolizes the heart of our democracy and does so along the path of the Vice President’s motorcade, we will respond with the full weight of federal charges and pursue accountability at every step.”
When Marx reached the sidewalk he turned and fired at one of the pursuing officers, and a civilian witness standing behind that officer was struck in the leg. Officers returned fire and struck Marx in the hand, left arm, and upper abdomen. Marx collapsed at the intersection of 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW, where officers rendered aid and took him into custody.
Investigators found a Sig Sauer P365 handgun loaded with 9mm ammunition at the location where Marx fell. Law enforcement determined Marx did not hold a license to carry a handgun in the District of Columbia. Identification was made using a Texas driver’s license found on Marx, and aliases were also associated with him, including Patrick Michael and Michael Zavici.
Marx was transported to George Washington University Hospital for treatment after being wounded during the exchange. While at the hospital he allegedly made statements to officers, including “F— the White House” and “kill me, kill me, kill me.” Those reported remarks are part of the investigative record detailed in the federal complaint and related filings.
An earlier complaint described how the plainclothes agent observed Marx concealing a weapon and called for uniformed backup, triggering the rapid response. The pursuit, the firing of the weapon, and the injury to a young civilian all occurred within minutes according to the timeline authorities released. That compressed timeline drew immediate attention because the incident happened near a presidential-era route and a high-profile public space.
Federal investigators with the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office are leading the probe into the shooting and recovery of the weapon. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, which filed the indictment that brings federal assault and firearms charges. The government’s filings outline the allegations and the sequence of events that led to the wounded bystander and Marx’s own injuries.
Public safety officials emphasized the seriousness of an armed encounter in such a crowded area and noted that the legal process will follow through in federal court. The indictment and complaint together form the basis for the charges prosecutors will pursue as the case moves forward. Court appearances and pretrial procedures will determine how the matter advances under federal law.
Indictment Michael Marx
