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Officials secure Capitol nearly four hours after pro-Trump rioters storm building

APTOPIX Congress Electoral College
Congress Electoral College
APTOPIX Congress Electoral College
Congress Electoral College
Congress Electoral College
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Electoral College Protests
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests
Congress Electoral College
Electoral College Protests
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APTOPIX Congress Electoral College
Posted at 1:45 PM, Jan 06, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-07 00:39:52-05

WASHINGTON — Nearly four hours after pro-Trump supporters stormed their way into the U.S. Capitol, officials declared the scene "secure," but not before one person was killed inside of the Capitol.

See timeline below of how the events unfolded in Washington D.C. on Wednesday.

Updates:

11 p.m. ET: Police confirmed that the woman who was fatally wounded was shot by police. Police also confirmed that three others died from medical emergencies during the riot.

Police also confirmed that 59 people were arrested during Wednesday's riots. There were also two pipe bombs and a cooler with Molotov cocktails found near the Capitol.

6:30 p.m. ET: President Donald Trump once again told protesters to go home, while maintaining his false belief that the election was stolen. "These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!"

The tweet was later flagged by Twitter. "This claim of election fraud is disputed, and this Tweet can’t be replied to, Retweeted, or liked due to a risk of violence."

6 p.m. ET: NBC News and the Washington Post, citing law enforcement sources, confirmed that a woman who was shot inside of the US Capitol died. Officials earlier in the day would not say if the woman was shot by police or protesters. Meanwhile, the Senate's Sergeant at Arms declared the building secure.

5:30 p.m. ET: Police have arrested at least 13 people amid the rioting at the U.S. Capitol, as law enforcement surrounds the building before the 6 p.m. ET curfew. "All the individuals who were arrested, all were from out of, out of the area," Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee said. Contee also said about five weapons were recovered.

4:50 p.m. ET: Police say they believe protesters were able to get inside the Capitol building by pouring chemical irritants on law enforcement. D.C. Metropolitan Police confirms one person was injured by a gunshot inside the Capitol. No other information was shared by the department on their condition.

Police also said officers will take immediate action if anyone violates the 6 p.m. curfew Wednesday night.

4:35 p.m. ET: At least two explosive devices have been found around D.C. amid riots at the Capitol. Federal law enforcement says both were real explosive devices and have been rendered safe, according to CNN. One was found at the U.S. Capitol complex and the other at the Republican National Committee offices.

4:20 p.m. ET: "I know your pain, I know you're hurt, we had an election that was stolen from us," President Donald Trump begins a message on Twitter Wednesday evening. "But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order."

"I know how you feel. Go home, go home in peace."

Twitter has put a warning on Trump's tweet because of his baseless claims about the election.

4:10 p.m. ET: "It's not protest, it's insurrection," said President-elect Joe Biden Wednesday afternoon in response to the situation at the Capitol. He called on President Trump to go on TV and "end this now."

"America is so much better than what we have seen today," Biden said. "President Trump, step up."

4 p.m. ET: Multiple officers have been injured during the rioting at the U.S. Capitol, with at least one taken to the hospital for treatment, according to CNN.

3:50 p.m. ET: Vice President Mike Pence had strong words for protesters at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, saying "Anyone involved must respect Law Enforcement officers and immediately leave the building."

"Peaceful protest is the right of every American but this attack on our Capitol will not be tolerated and those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Pence continued.

3:35 p.m. ET: At least one person has gunshot wounds from shots fired inside the Capitol. A medical team brought a stretcher inside the Capitol around 3 p.m. An officer told reporters as they hurried past, "white female, shot in the shoulder," according to the Washington Post.

3:30 p.m. ET: The National Guard is sending all D.C. members to help. National Guard members from D.C. do not have the ability to act in a military capacity, but they can help free up area law enforcement doing crowd control and other tasks so they can help at the Capitol.

Secret Service and agents from the Department of Homeland Security are also responding to the situation.

3:20 p.m. ET: President Donald Trump tweeted a request for demonstrators "to remain peaceful."

3:00 p.m. ET: The Mayor of D.C. and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi have asked the Department of Defense to allow the National Guard to respond to Capitol Hill to help control the demonstrations inside the building. The Secret Service is already enroute to the Capitol Building to help.

2:50 p.m. ET: D.C. police ask for assistance from area law enforcement to help control demonstrators.

2:40 p.m. ET: President Donald Trump tweeted a request for people to stay "peaceful" as demonstrators breached the U.S. Capitol. "Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay Peaceful."

Members of Congress inside the House chamber were told by police to put on gas masks after tear gas was dispersed in the Capitol Rotunda amid skirmishes.

The U.S. Capitol is on lockdown as demonstrators have gotten past law enforcement and breached the building. Lawmakers, staff and media told to shelter-in-place inside, as law enforcement uses tear gas and other tactics to remove protesters.

Hundreds of demonstrators initially stormed barricades outside the U.S. Capitol Wednesday afternoon, at the moment Congress was inside beginning a joint session to accept the Electoral College votes confirming President-elect Joe Biden’s presidential election win. Their actions followed a live speech from President Donald Trump to his supporters.

As demonstrators continued to push their way toward the Capitol, law enforcement used flash bangs and tear gas to keep the crowd away from the building. Some were able to get inside, and forced the building to lockdown. Other demonstrators have encircled the building, banging on windows and doors.

However, the group was able to breach the building, and those inside tweeted they were told to shelter in place and get to an office. Several media outlets are reportings Vice President Mike Pence was taken to a secure location.

Both the Senate and House of Representatives paused their sessions.

The Mayor of D.C. has issued a curfew for Wednesday night beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

Capitol Police initially ordered staff to evacuate House Cannon building and the James Madison Memorial Building, which is part of the Library of Congress. There are reports the evacuations are due to a suspicious package in the area, according to CNN.

A Virginia Representative, Elaine Luria, tweeted that she was evacuated "because of a pipe bomb reported outside. Supporters of the President are trying to force their way into the Capitol and I can hear what sounds like multiple gunshots."

A short time later, media outlets reported the Capitol was on lockdown and people were not allowed to leave.

Supporters of President Donald Trump gathered in Washington D.C. this week to pressure lawmakers not to accept the Electoral College votes.

Trump addressed the crowd earlier in the day, retelling baseless claims of voter fraud in the presidential election and calling on Vice President Mike Pence to send the Electoral College ballots back to the states for a “revote” to keep him as president.

Following Trump’s speech, a group of demonstrators pushed, and then knocked over barricades around the Capitol, according to the Washington Post. The group then reportedly ran through the field toward the Capitol.

Those who made it through were stopped by law enforcement at the Capitol. Officers on the Capitol kept demonstrators off the Capitol steps as the group started chanting.