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According to federal authorities, a Trump supporter, Taylor Taranto, who participated in storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021, was arrested near former President Barack Obama’s home.
When he was arrested, he had two guns and 400 rounds of ammunition in his van, which he appeared to be living in. Taranto also had a machete in the van. He currently faces four misdemeanor counts in connection with the Capitol riot.
Taranto had been in Washington to take House Speaker Kevin McCarthy up on his offer of allowing Jan. 6 defendants to review security footage of the Capitol riot relevant to their cases. He had been posting recordings of his attempts to get access to the footage on social media.
Taranto showed up at Obama’s residence after former President Donald Trump posted what appeared to be Obama’s address on his Truth Social platform.
“We got these losers surrounded!” Taranto wrote on Telegram. “See you in hell, Podesta’s and Obama’s!”
Taranto was identified by online sleuths in August 2021, and his van had been parked near the D.C. jail in recent weeks. He has also appeared at protests in support of other Jan. 6 defendants.
The widow of a Metropolitan Police officer who died by suicide after defending the Capitol on Jan. 6 has filed a lawsuit against Taranto and another man, David Walls-Kaufman, alleging they played a role in her husband’s death. Taranto and Walls-Kaufman have denied involvement.
More than 1,000 people have been charged in connection with the January 6 attack, and Taranto was one of many participants identified by online sleuths but had not been charged until now. He will be held in custody at least until a detention hearing on Wednesday.
