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Were Shots Fired Inside Capitol During Electoral Count Riots?

There were several reports of shots fired amid the chaos that unfolded in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021.

Published Jan. 6, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 06: U.S. Capitol police officers point their guns at a door that was vandalized in the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. A group of Republican senators said they would reject the Electoral College votes of several states unless Congress appointed a commission to audit the election results. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) (Drew Angerer / Getty Images)
Image Via Drew Angerer / Getty Images
Claim:
Shots were fired in the U.S. Capitol during electoral college riots on Jan. 6, 2021.

Multiple reports of shots fired occurred in the U.S. Capitol after the building was breached by protesters on Jan. 6, 2021.

Huffington Post Congressional Reporter Matt Fuller shared this picture at 2:44 p.m. EST:

Getty photographer Drew Angerer captured this same moment as well, apparently showing at least three officers in a standoff with an individual on the other side of a door:

At 3:32 p.m., CNN reported that a woman was in "critical condition after being shot in the chest on the Capitol grounds, according to two sources familiar with the matter."

At 3:47 p.m., NBC reported that five people had been transported to the hospital from the scene, with at least one of them being a police officer. NBC later reported that the woman who was shot had died.

The Washington Post later identified the woman as 35-year-old Ashli Babbitt, describing her as “a California native and Air Force veteran [who] had used her social media to express fervent support for President Trump and echo many of the president’s conspiracy theories and false claims of mass voter fraud.”

This is a developing story.

Alex Kasprak is an investigative journalist and science writer reporting on scientific misinformation, online fraud, and financial crime.

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