Capitol building riot: List of key arrests so far

Some of the defendants are accused of bringing weapons and bombs to Capitol Hill, indicative of the extremism of parts of the crowd. Others were photographed ransacking the building, smiling while posing with congressional items such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern or at her staffer’s desk, or publicly bragged about the crowd’s violent and destructive joyride.

On Sunday night, authorities arrested two more men, Eric Munchel of Tennessee and Larry Rendell Brock of Texas. Both had drawn attention online because of photos showing them wearing body armor inside the Capitol building and carrying plastic ties that could restrain a person.

Lawmakers describe ‘terror’ unfolding

As new details emerge, it has become obvious that lawmakers faced more imminent danger than was understood as the attack unfolded on live television.

“What was going through my head was frankly terror,” Democratic Rep. Susan Wild said on CNN’s New Day last week after having to take shelter on the floor of the House.

The top federal prosecutor in Washington, DC, Michael Sherwin, said he expected hundreds of people could be charged in the aftermath of the attack, and investigations may take months to understand it fully.

“I would not be surprised if we find loose affiliations of groups that were organized and had plans in place,” Sherwin said Sunday. “We saw in some of these individuals we identified — they look paramilitary almost, right? You’ve got the uniform, you’ve got communication, you have all the paraphernalia. Those show indications of affiliation and a command-and-control. So I believe we are going to find those hallmarks.”

Viral rioters also charged

One of the federal defendants so far, Jacob Chansley — who wore into the Capitol no shirt, a bearskin headdress, face paint and horns and was captured in many images of the crowd — has already told the FBI he came to Washington “as a part of a group effort, with other ‘patriots’ from Arizona, at the request of the President that all ‘patriots’ come to D.C. on January 6, 2021,” according to his court documents.

Others charged with taking part in the melee, such as Proud Boys Hawaii founder Nick Ochs and Joshua Pruitt, who is identified in a November video reciting an oath to the Proud Boys, appeared to have allied with fringe groups like the Proud Boys and QAnon that have followed Trump.

Several others who were not charged with crimes have lost their jobs for attending the rally at which Trump spoke. One man, Derrick Evans, resigned from his recently won seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates after federal prosecutors charged him. He said he took responsibility for his actions — which included allegedly livestreaming his entry into the Capitol building and shouting “We’re in! We’re in, baby!” A man later approached him and shakes his hand, saying, “Welcome to Congress.”

Next steps

Several of the federal defendants are set to appear in court for initial proceedings and detention hearings in the coming days, with more arrests likely to come that may reveal how armed and prepared others in the crowd were.

None of the 20 federal defendants have been formally indicted by a grand jury yet, a process that is likely to provide more details publicly about the seriousness of the breach.

The far-ranging criminal investigation is still at its earliest stages. Sherwin said on Sunday hundreds of people could be charged, while the FBI has released more than 40 images of people inside or around the Capitol it seeks help to identify.