Jan 6 Terrorist Charged With Carrying A Handgun On Capitol Grounds

On Thursday, the Justice Department charged a US Capitol rioter with bringing a handgun onto Capitol grounds — two days after a hearing where Republican lawmakers downplayed the deadly attack and claimed the pro-Trump rioters were unarmed.

The new charge was filed against Guy Reffitt, a Texan whose case received national attention after his own family members told the FBI that he threatened to kill them if they turned him in.

Prosecutors said in the new indictment that Reffitt carried a “deadly and dangerous weapon,” specifically a “semi-automatic handgun,” while he was unlawfully on Capitol grounds. He isn’t accused of entering the building itself. But it’s still against the law to breach the perimeter of the Capitol complex and storm past fences and barricades, which Reffitt was photographed doing.

This undermines Republican efforts to whitewash the January 6 insurrection. GOP lawmakers have pushed false-flag theories that the FBI, Antifa, or Black Lives Matter were behind the attack. They also claimed the mob was “unarmed,” even though rioters are accused of bringing guns and knives to the Capitol and using bear spray, flagpoles, and baseball bats to attack police.The new indictment was filed days after a House oversight hearing about the attack where several Republicans used their time to push false narratives and even defend the rioters. Several GOP lawmakers specifically claimed that the rioters at the Capitol were “unarmed.”

“Defendants and the propagandists claim that this was an armed insurrection. But no guns were found, according to assistant director of FBI. Another lie debunked,” Representative Andy Biggs said.Reffitt has not entered a plea for the new indictment.

 

About RavenH

Raven Haywood is a journalist for 10+ years. Graduate from Howard University.

Check Also

Ronna McDaniel

NBC News Reverses Decision to Hire Ronna McDaniel as Analyst Amid Backlash

Jimmy Williams NBC News has backtracked on its decision to hire former Republican National Committee …

Leave a Reply