Ultimately the capital police were distracted by multiple pipe bombs at the RNC/DNC headquarters, The FBI seized a van full of guns. The woman who was shot served 6 years in the DC air national guard, and directly trained on riot control in the DC metro area.

This was an organized attempt to assault a joint-session of the newly elected congress discharging their duty to certify the election results for the Executive branch of government.

Had the rioters reached the house or senate floor the US could have found itself without a legislative branch to legitimize the next president.