Following the storming of the capitol building yesterday, the D.C. National Guard will be placed on a 30-day mobilization.
Four people were killed during the siege. Thirty-five year old Ashli Babbitt, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, was shot and killed while reportedly breaking through a set of barricaded doors on a capitol building stairwell. It is unclear who shot her. Another three people died from medical emergencies, but the specific causes of their deaths are not clear.
President Trump told those who participated in the incident to go home peacefully, and VP Mike Pence condemned their actions on the Senate floor when the Electoral College certification resumed.
According to CNBC:
The D.C. National Guard will be placed on a 30-day mobilization, ensuring they are on hand for the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, two defense officials told NBC News.
The troops, who are unarmed, will monitor air traffic control points and provide support to the Capitol Police on Thursday as authorities work to secure the perimeter surrounding the Capitol Building
About 200 troops with riot gear will be on the streets in the morning with more possibly coming later in the day, one defense official said.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser had previously mobilized the National Guard ahead of President Trump’s rally yesterday that preceded the siege of the Capitol building. Bowser had opposed the presence of the National Guard in her city during the riots that followed the death of George Floyd in May. Those riots saw widespread looting, vandalism, and arson, and lasted for months.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo have all also announced plans to send National Guard troops to D.C.
This comes after the White House deployed the National Guard yesterday to quell the situation.
