What Went Wrong: How Rioters Breached the Capitol Complex

Americans watched in horror as a pro-Trump mob quickly overcame security and stormed the Capitol on Wednesday, disrupting a routine count of Electoral College votes to confirm President-elect Joe Biden as the winner of November’s election. Now, local and federal law enforcement, and even Congress, are trying to figure out how the Capitol’s defenses failed so quickly and spectacularly.

On Thursday, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund announced his resignation, along with the sergeants at arms in the House and Senate. Members of the House and Senate have said they will investigate how the rioters were so easily able to enter the Capitol.

Here’s what led to some of the breaches sure to be part of ongoing reviews.

12 p.m.—Trump rallies his supporters

Pro-Trump rallygoers start to convene early in the morning, and crowds gather for a scheduled event between the Ellipse and the Washington Monument. Trump goes on stage just before noon, speaks for about an hour and encourages the crowd to march to the Capitol, where Congress was in the process of certifying the presidential election.

1 p.m.—Congress begins election certification, and the first perimeter falls

Just after 1 p.m. Eastern time, Congress convened to go through a purely procedural count of electoral votes that had been certified by each state. Shortly after 1:30, the Capitol was on lockdown while Capitol Police evacuated House and Senate office buildings due to discovery of bombs in the area.

While Congress deliberated inside, crowds passed metal barriers and chain link fences and began to climb toward the east side of the Capitol building. The mob demonstrated on the plaza and climbed structures assembled in preparation for Biden’s inauguration.

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Fencing and metal barricades on Capitol grounds

As the perimeter fell, posts with videos circulated on social media claiming that police had let the rioters through the gates. From other angles and checkpoints, it appeared law enforcement were wholly understaffed for what came at them.

After 2 p.m.—Capitol breached

As the House and Senate met separately to discuss an objection to counting Arizona’s certified election results, rioters breached the doors and broke the windows to the Capitol.

Backup for Capitol Police was slow to arrive.

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser asked the Pentagon for National Guard assistance at around 2 p.m., according to the Defense Department. However, by 3 p.m. the National Guard still had not received the official request, according to an official. Bowser declared a curfew for the district starting at 6 p.m.

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Rioters pushed in from multiple points of entry

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Rioters clash with police inside the Capitol

As the mob started to move through the Capitol, they met resistance from Capitol Police, who tried to keep them at bay while moving members of Congress to more secure locations. After lawmakers departed rioters entered the Senate chamber, taking selfies on the rostrum.

Rioters broke glass on the House front door leading to an armed standoff with police inside at the door. A woman, identified as Ashli Babbitt, was shot attempting to enter the Speaker’s Lobby behind the House chamber when lawmakers were still inside. She later died. Four other people died as a result of the riot, including a Capitol Police officer, Brian Sicknick.

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After 4 p.m.—Clearing the Capitol

At about 4 p.m., Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman issued a statement that the D.C. National Guard had been mobilized and the Justice Department would lead the federal law enforcement response.

About 1,100 National Guard personnel were deployed and the Capitol was secured at about 7 p.m., the Defense Department said. Congress continued debate on the challenge to Arizona’s Electoral College votes shortly after 8 p.m.

The federal response was complicated and embroiled in confusion for several reasons. For example, Bowser said earlier in the week that she didn’t need additional assistance and warned agencies against deploying without first coordinating with the D.C. government.

And the agencies also needed an official request from the Capitol Police to provide assistance, which Capitol Police initially resisted when rioters first broke through the barricades.