LIVE UPDATES: 4 reported dead after protesters storm the capitol building

Pro-Trump protesters stormed the capitol building and damaged property as congress worked to confirm the next POTUS, photo courtesy of SFBay.

Franchesca Hackworth & Kaitlin Lewis    
Online Editor-in-Chief | News Editor

Protesters supporting President Donald Trump stormed the capitol building Wednesday as Congress worked to confirm who officially won the 2020 Presidential Election.

Here is a timeline of the events that unfolded Wednesday and the effects such actions had on many, including our local leaders.

The riots.

The proceedings were in full swing when lawmakers were abruptly halted and protesters began swarming the capitol building breaking windows, passing through security, and shouting. Trump and American flags were waved as protesters marched through the halls.

The rioting began after ‘Trump’s Save America March’ event around 11 a.m. Then, around 1 p.m. protestors pushed through the barriers and got up to the officers and doors of the capitol building, CNN reported. About 90 minutes later, entry into the building was made and the house and senate floors were locked down. 

According to the Associated Press, lawmakers were told to duck under their seats for cover and put on gas masks after tear gas was used in the Capitol Rotunda.

Four people died amid the chaos that ensued Wednesday. One woman was shot and three others died from medical emergencies during the protest. Dozens of others were arrested.

The woman was shot in the chest by Capitol Police, the Associated Press reported. City officials say she was within the crowd that broke down the doors to a barricaded room where armed officers stood on the other side. The woman was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead at the scene. 

As protesters continued with the rioting, Trump issued a taped video tweet backing his supporters’ cause, but ultimately telling them it was time to “go home in peace.” A few other tweets pleaded for protesters to stay peaceful and, “Respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue.”

A curfew was put into place in the city in an effort to keep peace as congress resumed proceedings Wednesday evening. It wasn’t until around 5:40 p.m. that the capitol building was secured again. The final decision that Joe Biden will be the next POTUS was confirmed just before 4 a.m.

Despite continued efforts to fight for recounts and reveal voter fraud, Trump issued the following statement, “Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th.”

Local response.

University of Dayton President Eric F. Spina stated there is no room for this kind of lawless behavior. 

UD College Democrats issued a formal statement on their view of Wednesday’s events. 

College Democrats are holding a Zoom session Thursday at 7:30 p.m. where all are welcome to engage in dialogue about what took place at the U.S. Capitol. 

Dayton’s Mayor, Nan Whaley also commented on the chaos that ensued Wednesday.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine voiced his upset that the constitutional process of the Electoral College was being disrupted. 

Social Media owners response.

Twitter claimed that Trump’s account broke the company’s civic integrity policy, and that his account will be locked for 12 hours after he chooses to remove the tweets that spread false information. Twitter said if Trump continues to break their policy, the @realDonaldTrump account will be permanently removed. 

Twitter has flagged tweets by the president before, but this time twitter actually removed three tweets made by Trump. Twitter said this is the first time the company has taken down tweets for reasons other than copyright infringement.

Snapchat also blocked Trump’s account for “deep concern about Trump’s dangerous rhetoric,” and Thursday Mark Zuckerberg said that Trump will be blocked on Facebook and Instagram platforms at least until the end of his term. 

Whitehouse staff resignations. 

Stephanie Grisham, who is one of the longest-serving aides in the White House and most recently served as chief of staff to Melania Trump, submitted her resignation in the aftermath of the violent protests. Among other staffers to resign as White House social secretary Rickie Niceta and White House press secretary Sarah Matthews. Upon resignation, Matthews stated she was “deeply disturbed by what I saw today.” More resignations are expected to follow. 

Cabinet members resign.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao resigned Thursday afternoon, stating that she was “deeply troubled” by the riots at the capitol building. Chao is the first cabinet member to resign.

Members of Congress call for the removal of Trump. 

Rep. Ilhan Omar announced Thursday that she is drafting articles of impeachment against Trump, who she blames for inciting the violence at the Capitol yesterday. Omar wrote, “We can’t allow him to remain in office, it’s a matter of preserving our Republic and we need to fulfill our oath.” The Democrat from Minnesota was supported by other members of the House, such as Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez from New York.

Some members of Congress are also calling for the resignation of Sen. Ted Cruz from Texas and Sen. Josh Hawley from Missouri for their incitement of the riots as well.

Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio called upon Vice President Mike Pence and the White House Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from office.

In his statement on Thursday, Brown said “Domestic terrorists attacked our seat of government, at the behest of the President of the United States… We must hold the president accountable for inciting this attack on our country.”

Editor’s note:

The effects of Wednesday’s events are ongoing. Flyer News will continue to update this story as we learn more details about what happened and how it will impact our communities moving forward. 

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