Midland Man Charged After Shooting at Secret Service Near Vance Motorcade

WASHINGTON - Michael Marx, 45, of Midland, Texas, was charged today in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in connection with a May 4 shooting near the Washington Monument on the National Mall in which a civilian bystander was struck by gunfire, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Marx faces three federal charges: assaulting federal officers with a dangerous weapon, using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 

According to court papers, on May 4, 2026, about 3:40 p.m., a plainclothes U.S. Secret Service agent observed 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. The agent alerted the Secret Service Joint Operations Center and requested uniformed backup. 

At the same time, the motorcade for Vice President J.D. Vance was departing the White House, passing through the area of 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW.  

Uniformed Secret Service officers responded and located Marx along the path of the Vice President's motorcade. As officers approached, Marx walked toward a group of civilians crossing the street. 

Officers issued verbal commands. Marx fled east on Independence Avenue SW. As officers pursued him, Marx drew a firearm from his waistband while running through the crosswalk toward bystanders. 

When Marx reached the sidewalk, he turned and fired at one of the pursuing officers. A civilian witness standing behind the officer was wounded in his leg. Officers returned fire, striking 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. He was identified through a Texas driver's license found on his person. Law enforcement also identified aliases including Patrick Michael and Michael Zavici. Marx was transported to George Washington University Hospital. While in the ambulance, he allegedly made statements to officers including “F--- the White House” and “Kill me, kill me, kill me.” 

Investigators recovered a Sig Sauer P365 handgun loaded with 9mm ammunition from the area where Marx fell. Law enforcement confirmed Marx does not hold a license to carry a handgun in the District of Columbia.  

“We will prove this defendant carried an illegal firearm into the heart of Washington, D.C., opened fire at Secret Service officers near a crowded intersection, and shot an innocent bystander who was simply crossing the street with his family,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office will pursue the most serious charges available against anyone who brings gun violence to our streets, particularly when that violence unfolds steps from the seat of our government and the path of the Vice President of the United States.” 

The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caelainn Carney the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.