United States Congressman Adam Kinzinger heard flash bang grenades exploding outside his office in Washington D.C. as large numbers of insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — United States Congressman Adam Kinzinger heard flash bang grenades exploding outside his office in Washington D.C. as large numbers of invaders stormed the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6.
The Republican, who is in his fifth term representing Illinois’ 16th District, had a feeling the events that took place that day could take an ugly turn. The day started as expected, with Kinzinger and his congressional colleagues entering the House chamber around 1 p.m. for a Joint Session to certify the results of the 2020 election, and confirm Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump as President.
When Kinzinger returned to his office, he began seeing tensions flare on social media, with some people on Twitter directing comments specifically toward him. After speaking to his wife on the phone, Kinzinger sensed that actions outside the Capitol were turning for the worse.
“I could see a little of the crowd, but I felt a real dark and evil sense coming over the place,” Kinzinger said. “I’m not one of those guys who feels that all of the time, but that’s the best way I could describe it. When I heard the Capitol alarm, which I’ve only heard twice in my 10 years, and I heard the panic from the narrator’s voice that we needed to shelter in place, I knew things were going to get pretty bad, so I locked myself in my office and told my staff not to come in.”
Kinzinger, who said he expressed his concerns about how events could transpire on Jan. 6 to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, added he typically carries a weapon on him everywhere but the Capitol building. That changed on Jan. 6, with Kinzinger deciding to bring his weapon into the Capitol because he felt he may have needed to defend himself if tensions escalated.
“I have profound sadness for that day,” Kinzinger said. “I think we realized how fragile democracy is. The vast majority of people out there had no intention of doing this, but the whole narrative of why everybody was out there was because of misinformation and the idea the election was stolen in the face of any proof. I could go along with that narrative because it’s an easy political decision, but I also know the deep ramifications of making that decision.”