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DC Authorities Preparing for Second Capitol Attack as Online Chatter Heats Up

After Wednesday’s security failure and a wave of resignations and terminations, authorities in the capital need to work quickly.

When the dust settled late on Wednesday, and the adrenaline stopped pumping, America found itself with quite a bit to think about.

Something out there in our nation was wrong.  Either the system isn’t working, or the system used to pit people against the system is working a little too well.

In the aftermath of that attack on the Capitol, (which may still wind up with its own historical moniker in the coming days), a wave of condemnation has been deluging Washington DC, with many on The Beltway furious with the inability of local law enforcement to keep the building safe.

This negligence will need to be corrected swiftly, as authorities fear that a new attack could be imminent.

Police and the FBI are searching airports and hotels across the city for the rioters who ransacked the Capitol. More than 50 people have already been charged with crimes related to the violence.

On social media, there has been chatter about making the next target the inauguration. A white supremacist Telegram channel posted a reminder that Inauguration Day is January 20: “That is the next date on the calendar that the Pro-Trump and other nationalist crowds will potentially converge on the Capitol again.”

D.C. police on Thursday released photos of some of the rioters they are seeking to charge with the violence at the Capitol, which included breaking windows, destroying congressional offices and fighting police inside and outside the building. They had, what appeared to be, free rein of the Capitol — even Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, where one protester left a message that said, “We will not back down.”

Some changes are already being made.

To avoid a repeat of the chaos and destruction, Army Secretary Ryan D. McCarthy said the Capitol will be fortified by fencing. There are now thousands of National Guard troops deploying into D.C. to help secure the city.

A fifth individual has now been pronounced dead from the incident:  A police officer who was bludgeoned in the head with a fire extinguisher during the event.

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