Family of five charged in Capitol riots case
The family continued discussions of their support for Trump even after the Capitol riots
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Federal authorities in the US on Tuesday arrested five members of a family on charges related to storming the country’s Capitol Hill building on 6 January.
Joshua Munn, 24, was arrested in western Wisconsin’s Melrose village, about 275 kilometres northwest of Milwaukee but was released after an initial federal court appearance in Madison, Wisconsin, according to the Associated Press (AP).
His 54-year-old father Thomas Munn, mother Dawn Munn, 55, and his sisters Kristi Munn, 29, and Kayli Munn, 18, were arrested in Borger, about 65 kilometres northwest of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle. They were booked into the Randall County Jail in Amarillo pending their initial court appearances on Wednesday.
This was one of the largest single-day arrests of those accused in a Capitol riots case made by federal authorities and the largest family charged together so far, according to news channel CNN.
Documents filed in a federal court in Washington, DC, where they will be prosecuted, said the family travelled from Texas to DC to join the protests. Now, all five face several charges, including knowingly entering a restricted area without authorisation and allegedly engaging in disorderly conduct.
On 6 January, a mob, allegedly incited by former president Donald Trump, stormed Capitol Hill and attacked police officers tasked to protect the building. More than 500 people have been arrested in relation to the Capitol riots so far.
CNN reported that social media posts and videos highlighted by prosecutors show that the family members entered the Capitol building through a broken window on 6 January and traversed the building together.
They had also brought another family member, a minor who followed his family inside the building as well. The minor was, however, not identified by name or image in court records and was not charged.
According to the media reports, FBI officials received a tip about Kristi Munn’s participation in the Capitol riots from a tipster who shared screenshots of her account on Facebook following which investigators checked Facebook posts from the other family members as well to track their journey from Texas.
Ms Munn, for instance, posted a picture of her family members in camouflage clothing and said: “Washington DC here we come !!! #StopTheSteal #TrumpisMyPresident (sic).”
Even after the riots, family members continued to discuss their support for Mr Trump on social media, according to CNN.
Additional reporting by agencies