Rioters at the U.S. Capitol following Presidential election results.Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty
Tuesday marked six months to the day that a group of pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol building, forcing lawmakers to evacuate as shots were reported inside. As of July 6, hundreds of those who breached the building still remain unidentified.
According to anAssociated Pressreport published Tuesday, law enforcement is still attempting to identify 300 of those who stormed the building, including the personwho planted two pipe bombs outside the offices of both the Republican and Democratic national committeesthe night prior. More than 500 people have been arrested and have pleaded guilty.
As the AP notes, the authorities made few arrests during and immediately following the riots, instead focusing on clearing the building as the group of violent Trump supporters ransacked lawmakers' offices, damaged historic property and attacked members of the Capitol police.
The FBI has a tip line for those with information on any of the individuals who made unlawful entry into the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6 and is still seeking public assistance.
To coincide with the six-month anniversary of the event, acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittmanoutlined the many reformsmade in the wake of the event.
“Throughout the last six months, the United States Capitol Police has been working around the clock with our congressional stakeholders to support our officers, enhance security around the Capitol complex, and pivot towards an intelligence-based protective agency,” Pittman said in a release issued Tuesday.
The Capitol Police also solidified a “Critical Incident Response Plan, which establishes a multi-phased action plan to quickly mobilize local, state, and federal manpower, including the Department of Defense, to respond to planned and/or no-notice emergencies,” the release said. It is also currently working “to obtain the authority to immediately request National Guard assistance if needed without having to wait for board approval.”
The Capitol Police washeavily criticized following the riot, both for their failure to protect the building from being breached, and for the length of time it took to activate additional National Guard troops to the area.
More than 50 officers from the departments sustained injuries during the melee, a Capitol Policestatementsaid, while several of them were “hospitalized with serious injuries.”
Amid that criticism, former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund submitted his letter of resignation just days after the Jan. 6 events.
Prior to the attempted insurrection, Trump had delivered a disgruntled hour-long speech outside the White House, urging supporters to march to the Capitol, where lawmakers had begun ratifying Biden’s victory, and “fight like Hell.”
“You will never take back our country with weakness,” Trump said at the time.
Once inside the building, the mob became violent, forcing former Vice President Mike Pence and other lawmakers to bequickly evacuated and placed under lockdown. Some in the pro-Trump mob were heard chanting that they wanted to “hang” Pence. Five people, including a Capitol Police Officer, died due to the events of that day.
source: people.com
