FBI finds no evidence of storming Capitol – Reuters

The US FBI did not find sufficient evidence that the storming of the Capitol on January 6 was a planned action. informs Reuters, citing law enforcement sources. According to the agency, Congress agreed with the results of the investigation.

According to the FBI, the riots were not coordinated by far-right groups or active supporters of Donald Trump, who was then president of the United States. According to one of the sources, 90–95% of the participants in the assault were not connected with each other. Only 5% of the protesters were organized into some kind of group. “But there was no large-scale plan to storm the Capitol and take hostages,” the source added.

According to sources, the FBI found evidence that the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers were about to break into the Capitol building. However, as the investigation showed, they did not have any specific plan of action in case of success.

Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington on January 6 to derail Joe Biden’s assertion of victory in the presidential election. During the riots, five people were killed, including a policeman.

At least 850 police officers from the Capitol and the Washington DC Police Department were involved in the suppression of the protests. About 140 of them were injured. Later, the four police officers who defended the Capitol committed suicide.

More than 500 people were accused of participating in the attack on the Capitol. 40 of them were charged with preparing the riots. In particular, one of the leaders of the “proud guys” a few weeks before the storming of the building ordered to prepare bulletproof shields and military equipment. Six people divided the protesters into squads, who then stormed the building from different directions. 170 defendants are charged with assaulting or resisting police officers. Those accused under this article face up to 20 years in prison.

In June, the first sentence was passed – 49-year-old Anna Morgan-Lloyd was given a three-year suspended sentence. In July, the court sentenced another defendant, Florida resident Paul Hodgkins. He received eight months in prison.