Capitol Riot: Self-Surveillance Feeds Investigation

The FBI, which is leading the investigation, has a range of investigative tools and technologies to help, including facial recognition software. Potential evidence abounds, thanks in no small part to self-surveillance - namely, many members of the mob livestreamed their breach of the Capitol, took copious photographs or posted images or intentions on social media.

"Some people were being very blatant and flippant about it, smiling for the camera - those people are going to be very easy to find," Doug Kouns, a retired FBI special agent and founder of the Indiana-based private-investigation firm Veracity IIR, tells The Washington Post.

The FBI's Washington field office has issued a public appeal, saying it "is seeking the public's assistance in identifying individuals who made unlawful entry into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6."

The FBI is also seeking information, backed by a reward of up to $50,000, on whoever deployed two suspected pipe bombs - one placed at the city's National Republican Club and the other at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee.

"This investigation has the highest priority of the Department of Justice," Kenneth C. Kohl, the acting principal assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, told The Washington Post. "We have literally hundreds of prosecutors and agents working from three command centers on what is really a 24-hour-a-day operation. It is active; it is fluid; it is evolving."

"Just because you've left the D.C. region, you can still expect a knock on the door if we find out you were part of criminal activity in the Capitol," FBI Washington Field Office Chief Steven M. D'Antuono told the Post.

As of early Monday, 45 individuals had been charged - under federal or local laws in Washington - in connection with Wednesday's events, according to the Program on Extremism at George Washington University.

The most common charge so far is "illegal entry and activity on designated grounds." But in court documents, investigators note that the charges filed so far - none of which have been proven in court - are only to demonstrate probable cause for the purpose of obtaining an arrest warrant. Further charges could be filed against individual suspects as investigations continue.

Calls to Save 'Incriminating' Footage

Extensive crowdsourced efforts are underway to attempt to identify suspects, and numerous matches have been referred to the FBI.

On Wednesday, investigative journalism website Bellingcat urged people to help save all evidence to assist investigators. "For those who are able to: please try to scrape and save any videos and livestreams of the Capitol storming and occupation," Bellingcat tweeted. "Just like after Charlottesville in 2017" - a Unite the Right white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia - "many of those who are streaming will delete their streams once they realize how incriminating the footage is."

The FBI has declined to say which tools or technology it might be using in the course of its investigation. But one Alabama police officer tells The Wall Street Journal that he's been running some images through facial recognition software and then forwarding the results to the FBI.

Crowdsourced investigators say they have been overwhelmed by the number of people willing to help chase down suspects. "The volume of tips and information now is unlike anything I have ever seen," Scott-Railton told the Star.

Security Concerns Ahead of Inauguration

As investigations continue, officials are bracing for further violence in Washington.

Far-right groups and others have reportedly been planning further violence in Washington on Jan. 20, the day of Biden's inauguration

"My concern is, if they don't get their act together with physical security, it's going to happen again," Sund told the Post.


Article originally published on govinfosecurity.com