White House Suspect Passed Gun Screening

U.S. officials considered what charges to bring against an Indiana man who fired shots near the White House as details emerged Thursday of a disturbed man who hated his ex-employer, the Internal Revenue Service.

Robert W. Pickett, 47, of Evansville, Ind., was in good condition at a local hospital, where he had knee surgery after being shot Wednesday by a Secret Service agent.

Justice Department officials were expected to file charges today.

It was revealed that Pickett bought the gun after passing an instant background check in Indiana, despite a history of mental illness.

The Cincinnati Enquirer released a letter it said was written by Pickett to the IRS last week in which he accused the agency’s commissioner of being “guilty of murder” and blamed his emotional problems on his struggle with his former employer.

“My death is on your hands,” Pickett wrote in the letter.