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Rioters at Capitol shattered windows, graffitied doors, left behind debris

Cost of damage unclear
Capitol riots
Posted at 12:19 PM, Jan 07, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-07 13:58:53-05

Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday left behind a trail of destruction in the historic building, including broken doors, toppled furniture, shattered glass and graffiti.

Photos taken by journalists inside the Capitol showed Trump supporters smashing windows in order to breach the building. Other rioters entered the offices of some lawmakers, including that of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Glass on doors to the House chamber was also shattered during Wednesday’s riot. At one point, photos showed Capitol police and Secret Service agents with guns drawn in front of the door.

Electoral College Photo Gallery
Police with guns drawn watch as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Later, video taken from the Capitol showed custodial workers cleaning up the shattered glass before lawmakers returned to certify the Electoral College tally.

During that standoff, the sealed Electoral College certificates submitted by every state — the documents that confirmed Joe Biden's win in the presidential election — were removed from the House chamber for safekeeping.

Later, NBC photographer Frank Thorp also captured an image that showed a bust of President Zachary Taylor smeared with blood.

As police began to clear the building video showed Trump supporters exiting through a door upon which someone had scrawled “Murder The Media.”

It wasn’t just the Capitol building that suffered damage. Trump supporters also accosted a group of broadcast journalists and damaged some of their equipment. Reports later indicated that the rioters attempted to set the equipment ablaze.

Custodial staff returned to the Capitol building on Thursday morning to begin cleaning up the debris left by the rioters, including water bottles, gas masks, and Trump 2020 flags.

Congress Electoral College
Debris and personal belongings are strewn across the floor of the Rotunda in the early morning hours after protesters stormed the Capitol on Wednesday in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

It’s currently unclear how much it will cost to repair the damage levied by the riots.

Four people died during Wednesday’s riots — one woman was shot by police, and three others died following medical emergencies. More than 50 people were arrested.