So, three people familiar with the incident and a congressional aide said Omar J. Gonzalez ran past the guard at the front door and into the East Room. Gonzalez, 42, was arrested September 19 . The intrusion was a security lapse that could have had serious consequences. The Secret Service also incorrectly said that night that the suspect had been unarmed. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson was scheduled to testify before a House committee on Tuesday. “The president and the first lady, like all parents, are concerned about the safety of their children, but the president and first lady also have confidence in the men and women of the Secret Service to do a very important job, which is to protect the first family, to protect the White House, but also protect the ability of tourists and members of the public to conduct their business or even tour the White House,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said referring not only to the last incident.
