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US Capitol Riot: What we know about the chaos in DC, aftermath

A Capitol Police officer is on life support after suffering a stroke during Wednesday's riot involving Trump supporters.

Angry supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in a chaotic riot aimed at thwarting a peaceful transfer of power, forcing lawmakers to be rushed from the building and interrupting challenges to Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. 

One person was shot and killed, three others died after suffering medical emergencies Wednesday. Then on Thursday, a U.S. Capitol Police officer died after he was injured during the riot.

Congress returned later Wednesday to resume their proceedings after the Capitol was cleared by law enforcement and confirmed Biden as the presidential election winner.

Here's what you need to know about Wednesday's chaos and the aftermath unfolding on Thursday. 

What happened?

Pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol while lawmakers were trying to confirm the electoral college certifications, making Democrat Joe Biden the presidential election winner.

The mob took over the presiding officer’s chair in the Senate, the offices of the House speaker and the Senate dais. They mocked its leaders, posing for photos in the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, one with his feet propped on a desk in her office, another sitting in the same seat Vice President Mike Pence had occupied only moments before during the proceedings to certify the Electoral College vote. 

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Deaths, Injuries and Arrests

A day after he was injured during Wednesday's riot, an officer with the Capitol Police force died.

"Officer Brian D. Sicknick passed away due to injuries sustained while on-duty," Capitol Police announced Thursday night. "Officer Sicknick was responding to the riots on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol and was injured while physically engaging with protesters. He returned to his division office and collapsed."

WUSA reported Sicknick had suffered a stroke.

Sicknick had been on the force for 15 years. 

Credit: Associated Press
This undated image provided by the United States Capitol Police shows U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, of injuries sustained during the riot at the Capitol. (United States Capitol Police via AP)

As of Friday night, more than 90 people were arrested, according to the Associated Press, and 50 Capitol and Washington police officers have been injured, according to initial information released by MPD and Capitol Police. Those numbers are expected to rise.

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Authorities said a woman was shot during the riot as the mob tried to break through a barricaded door into the House Chamber where police were armed on the other side. She was hospitalized with a gunshot wound and later died.

The Capitol Police identified her as Ashli Babbitt. Family and her social media accounts say she was an Air Force veteran from San Diego and avid supporter of President Donald Trump and his efforts to stay in office. 

District of Columbia police have identified the three people who had medical emergencies and died during the storming of the Capitol.

They are 55-year-old Kevin Greeson, of Athens, Alabama; 34-year-old Rosanne Boyland, of Kennesaw, Georgia; and 50-year-old Benjamin Phillips, of Ringtown, Pennsylvania.

Police Chief Robert Contee would not go into detail about the exact causes of their deaths and would not say if any of the three was actively involved in breaching the Capitol building on Wednesday.

Contee would only say that all three “were on the grounds of the Capitol when they experienced their medical emergencies.”

Greeson’s family says he had a heart attack. They described him as a supporter of President Donald Trump's but denied that he condoned violence.

RELATED: San Diego man believes his wife was the woman who died during the Capitol riots

The FBI is also asking for help identifying individuals who were "actively instigating violence in Washington, DC." The agency asks that anyone who witnessed unlawful violent actions to submit any information, photos, or videos here: http://fbi.gov/USCapitol.

Credit: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
Adam Johnson

Adam Johnson, a man seen smiling and waving at the camera while carrying the lectern of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the U.S. Capitol riot, was arrested.

Johnson, a 36-year-old man from Parrish, Florida, was jailed on a federal warrant Friday in Pinellas County, records show.

Johnson was charged with "one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; one count of theft of government property; and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds," according to a statement from Michael R. Sherwin of the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Sherwin released a statement Saturday on three of the individuals now in custody, who were charged in connection to the raid on the U.S. Capitol. 

Jacob Anthony Chansley, otherwise known as "Jake Angeli," was charged with "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds."

Chansley was taken into custody on Saturday. The statement detailed how on Jan. 6 during the raid, he was "dressed in horns, a bearskin headdress, red, white and blue face paint, shirtless, and tan pants."

35-year-old Derrick Evans of West Virginia was charged with "one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds," and was taken into custody Friday.

Evans, who is a recently elected member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, was seen on Facebook live encouraging a crowd who were unlawfully entering the U.S. Capitol building. Evans was seen in video entering into the U.S. Capitol and saying “We’re in, we’re in! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!”

Will rioters be charged?

The top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia says “all options are on the table” for charging members of the violent pro-Trump mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol — including sedition charges. 

The United States Department of Justice said 13 individuals have been charged so far in federal court related to crimes committed at the U.S. Capitol as of Friday.

The Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen released a statement Thursday and said that the Department of Justice is "committed to ensuring that those responsible for this attack on our Government and the rule of law face the full consequences of their actions under the law."

He added that prosecutors have been working with investigators from the U.S. Capitol Police, FBI, ATF, Metropolitan Police Department and the public to gather the evidence, identify perpetrators, and charge federal crimes where warranted. 

ABC reported Friday that a laptop was stolen from Pelosi's office during the rioting. The laptop was only used for presentations. 

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FBI Director Christopher Wray also released a statement Thursday and said, "Make no mistake: With our partners, we will hold accountable those who participated in yesterday’s siege of the Capitol."

Was there a bomb, IED?

Police said they recovered two pipe bombs during the chaos, one outside the Democratic National Committee and one outside the Republican National Committee and a cooler from a vehicle that had a long gun and Molotov cocktail on Capitol grounds. 

Prosecutors allege an Alabama man had 11 Molotov cocktails in his truck.

RELATED: 2 pipe bombs and cooler of Molotov cocktails found near Capitol Building amid Capitol riot, DC Police Chief says

How was the mob cleared out?

Authorities eventually regained control of the Capitol as night fell.

Heavily armed officers brought in as reinforcements started using tear gas in a coordinated effort to get people moving toward the door, then combed the halls for stragglers, pushing the mob farther out onto the plaza and lawn, in clouds of tear gas, flash-bangs and percussion grenades.

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Did President Trump tell protesters to go to the Capitol?

Trump on Wednesday during a noontime rally encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol to protest lawmakers’ actions. He later appeared to justify the violent occupation of the Capitol by the mob, which forced its way inside, clashed with police and ransacked offices.

Trump even told his crowd at the Ellipse that he would go with them to the Capitol, but he didn’t. Instead, he sent them off with incendiary rhetoric.

“If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore,” he said hours before the riot. “Let the weak ones get out,” he went on. “This is a time for strength.”

His lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, told the crowd, “Let’s have trial by combat.”

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Did Twitter, Facebook ban Trump?

Yes.

Twitter on Friday permanently suspended Trump from its platform, citing concerns that language he was using might incite more violence. As he attempted to try posting on other accounts, Twitter shut those down, too.

Facebook and Instagram silenced his social media accounts Thursday for the rest of his presidency. The move, which many called long overdue following Wednesday's deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

It remains unclear how the platforms will handle Trump once he leaves office and is no longer shielded from enforcement of most rules by his status as a world leader. And some critics saw the moves as cynical efforts by the companies to position themselves for a post-Trump future.

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What did Joe Biden say? 

President-elect Joe Biden called Wednesday for the restoration of “simple decency” as a mob incited by his predecessor stormed the U.S. Capitol. 

Biden called on Trump to “go on national television now, to fulfill his oath and defend the Constitution and demand an end to this siege.” Trump released a video on social media a short-time later, but Twitter deleted it and other tweets due to concerns it would only incite his supporters more.

Biden has not thrown his support behind calls for impeaching Trump.

RELATED: Biden urges restoring decency after 'assault' on democracy

What is the 25th Amendment and why are people discussing it in relation to the riot at the Capitol? 

The text of the 25th Amendment makes it clear that there are two ways to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove a president from office: by the president’s request or by the action of the vice president and the Cabinet.

After pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer joined other Democrats and at least one Republican in calling for the 25th Amendment to be invoked and for Trump to be removed from office before Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20. 

Multiple reports indicate Vice President Mike Pence is opposed to using the 25th Amendment.

With that, House Democrats are expected to introduce articles of impeachment Monday with a House vote as soon as Wednesday. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Republicans the Senate would not take it up until Jan. 19 unless all 100 senators agree to do it earlier, according to the Washington Post.

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What did the Capitol Police do?

The United States Capitol Police on Thursday released a statement explaining some of the events that took place the day prior.

The chief of the U.S. Capitol Police says the violent mob that stormed the building wielded metal pipes, chemical irritants and other weapons against law enforcement.

Steven Sund's statement said the rioting protesters “actively attacked” police officers and “were determined to enter into the Capitol Building by causing great damage.

Thursday morning, Sund defended his agency’s response from criticism that officers did not stop the incursion. He says his agency “had a robust plan” for what he anticipated would be peaceful protests, but what occurred Wednesday was “criminal riotous behavior.”

Hours later, it was announced that he would be resigning. Earlier in the day, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she wanted his resignation.

Pelosi also said Thursday that House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving, another key security official, had already submitted his resignation. He reports directly to Pelosi, while Sund answers to both House and Senate.

Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Stenger resigned Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is set to become majority leader, previously said he planned to fire Stenger.

Lawmakers have mixed praise for the Capitol Police with harsh criticism for the outfit, which was overwhelmed by Wednesday’s mob and unprepared for it.

RELATED: Lawmakers vow to investigate police after Capitol breach by Trump supporters

Three days before supporters of President Donald Trump rioted at the Capitol, the Pentagon asked the U.S Capitol Police if it needed National Guard manpower. And as the mob descended on the building Wednesday, Justice Department leaders reached out to offer up FBI agents. The police turned them down both times, according to senior defense officials and two people familiar with the matter. 

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How the world reacted

World leaders are condemning the storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump. They called for a peaceful transition of power, and some singled out Trump for harsh criticism.

They said political leaders need to urge their followers to refrain from violence and respect the rule of law. 

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What happens to Biden's inauguration at Capitol?

The insurrection is intensifying scrutiny over security at the inauguration ceremony, which already has been reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic and Trump's decision not to attend.

Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will take the oath of office from the Capitol's West Front, one of the locations where a mob overpowered police and stormed the building on Wednesday.

Plans for the Jan. 20 inauguration were already scaled back because of the coronavirus. But the brazen attack raises new questions about preparedness for the event that will welcome a new administration after a bitter election.

The congressional leaders responsible for coordinating the inauguration has insisted that events will move forward.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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