WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A woman who was shot as President Donald Trump’s supporters invaded the US Capitol on Wednesday has died, a Washington police spokeswoman said.
Alaina Gertz offered no details on who the woman was or the circumstances of the shooting, which is now under investigation by the metropolitan police.
Unverified videos appear to show a woman who was part of the protests on the floor inside the Capitol and bleeding after gunfire erupted momentarily.
It remained unclear who shot the woman, but a witness said the shooting occurred after law enforcement authorities urged people to “get back”.
A protester from New Jersey told Washington CBS affiliate WUSA he witnessed the woman being shot at the Capitol after police and other law enforcement officials warned people to get back.
“Well, we had stormed into the chambers inside, and there was a young lady who rushed to the windows; a number of police and Secret Service were saying, ‘Get back, get down, get out of the way,'” he said. “She didn’t heed the call and as we kind of raced up to grab people and pull them back, they shot her in the neck, and she fell back on me.”
The man told the local television station he saw blood coming from the woman’s mouth and neck and nose.
“It could have been me, but she went first,” he said.
Hundreds of Trump supporters entered the Capitol on Wednesday in a bid to overturn his election defeat, forcing Congress to postpone a session that would have certified Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the Nov 3 election.
Video showed the Trump supporters breaking windows and police deploying tear gas inside the building.
Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said members of the crowd used chemical irritants to attack police and several had been injured. The FBI said it had disarmed two suspected explosive devices.
It was the most damaging attack on the iconic building since the British army burned it in 1814, according to the US Capitol Historical Society.
Police declared the Capitol building secure shortly after 5.30pm (6.30am Singapore time), more than three hours after it was breached. — NNN-AGENCIES
