(Eagle News) — One woman was shot and killed and three other people died as a mob of US President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed a session of the US Congress held on Wednesday that was called to certify the win of US President-elect Joe Biden.
Multiple injuries were also reported in Washington, D.C. Security forces fired tear gas in a four-hour operation to clear the Capitol.
The woman was reportedly a Trump supporter and an Air Force veteran.
US media identified her as Ashli Babbitt. The three other deaths were “one adult female and two adult males” from the “area around the capitol grounds” allegedly due to “medical emergencies,” according to Washington D.C. police.
Washington D.C. Police chief Robert Contee described the incident as a “tragedy.” He said that an investigation is ongoing.
-Trump blocked on Twitter –
Amid the violence, Trump posted a tweet “asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful.”
But this was after several tweets that urged his supporters to “be strong”
Tweeter and Facebook locked his accounts and removed several of his posts.
Twitter said that Trump’s posts violated Twitter rules.
Trump ranted about election fraud, as his supporters staged a rally called “Save America March”.
In his video at the rally posted on social media, Trump told his supporters, “I know your pain. I know your hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election, and everyone knows it, especially the other side.”
He had earlier announced that he would be speaking at the “Save America rally”, and told his supporters to “arrive early” and said that he was expecting a “big crowd.”
He later posted a tweet calling for peace amid the riots that happened involving his supporters.
“I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!” Trump said.
Trump’s other tweets were then removed after Twitter said these violated their rules.
Agence France Presse, citing authorities, reported that the woman who died Wednesday of a bullet wound during the violent storming of the US Capitol was shot by police.
It was the only fatality tied to Wednesday’s unrest. She was reportedly a dedicated Donald Trump backer and air force veteran who was among a throng of supporters of the president that invaded the US legislature.
Washington police chief Contee said three other people, one woman and two men, had died Wednesday in the area around the Capitol, but did not link those deaths to the violence.
Each of the three “appeared to have suffered medical emergencies which resulted in their deaths,” Contee told reporters.
-52 arrests-
Contee said 52 people had been arrested Wednesday. Forty-seven of the arrests were for curfew violations and unlawful entry, and one for possession of prohibited weapons.
Twenty-six of the arrests were done on the grounds of the Capitol, for curfew violations, unlawful entry and weapons charges.
Fourteen police were injured, one seriously after he was pulled into a crowd and assaulted, he added.
The riot had interrupted the Congress electoral college vote count that was supposed to certify US President-elect Biden’s win.
Contee said two pipe bombs had been discovered near the Capitol, one at democratic Party offices and the other at Republican Party offices.
In addition, a vehicle was discovered parked on Capitol grounds with a long gun and Molotov cocktails inside.
-Citywide curfew-
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a “citywide curfew for the District of Columbia” which took effect from 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 6, until 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 7.
She then issued “Order 2021-003, extending the public emergency declared earlier today for a total of 15 days, until and unless provided for by further Mayoral Order.”
Bowser announced the extension of the city’s state of emergency for 15 days through the January 20 presidential inauguration of Joe Biden, amid fears Trump and his supporters will continue to threaten violence over their unsupported claims that Biden’s election win was fraudulent.
“I know that I speak for all of us when I say that we saw an unprecedented attack on our American democracy incited by the United States president, and he must be held accountable,” Bowser said.
Trump was blamed for the death of the woman, one of thousands of supporters he urged to descend on the Capitol after a midday rally at the White House in which he told them that he lost the November 3 election due to massive fraud.
They flocked to the Congress just as it opened a joint session to certify Biden as the election winner.
– Strong Trump supporter –
The dead woman was identified in US media as Ashli Babbitt, a backer of the president from San Diego, California who had served in the United States Air Force.
She was shot amid chaotic and violent scenes inside the Capitol building, where some security personnel drew their guns to protect lawmakers as protesters advanced.
“She was a strong supporter of President Trump,” San Diego TV station KUSI reported, citing the woman’s husband.
Babbitt identified herself as a veteran on her Twitter account and noted her love for the US. She had recently retweeted messages in support of Trump and from those coming to Washington for Wednesday’s rally.
“Nothing will stop us….they can try and try and try but the storm is here and it is descending upon DC in less than 24 hours….dark to light!”, she wrote in a tweet on Tuesday.
“I really don’t know why she decided to do this,” her mother-in-law reportedly told the station about her trip to Washington to join pro-Trump protests.
(with an Agence France Presse report)