A California woman is accused of bringing an arsenal of weapons, including a sword, a steel whip and a knife, into the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by a mob of Donald Trump’s supporters, according to court documents made public Wednesday.
According to an FBI affidavit, Kennedy Lindsey was carrying a short sword, a steel tactical whip, a collapsible baton, pepper spray, a butterfly knife and a flashlight taser when a U.S. Secret Service agent searched her backpack.
Lindsey was arrested last month in Los Angeles on suspicion of, among other things, disturbing the peace and possessing a dangerous weapon in a Capitol building.
More than 1,400 people have been charged with federal crimes in connection with the Capitol riots. Rioters on Jan. 6 were armed with a variety of weapons, including guns, knives and stun guns. Many others used items such as flagpoles and broken pieces of office furniture as improvised weapons during the siege.
Lindsey was sued for a woman who flew with her from California to Washington, D.C. Lindsey bought plane tickets for both of them after then-President Donald Trump announced a “wild” protest would take place on January 6. Lindsey posted on social media that she was going because “the boss asked us to be there.”
After attending Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally at the White House, the two women rode to the Capitol on the back of a golf cart.
“Everybody storm the building, folks,” Lindsey said in a self-recorded video, according to the oath. “We have to do this as patriots. It’s in the Constitution.”
Lindsey, wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat and a tactical vest, entered the Capitol through a broken window, the FBI said. The Secret Service agent who approached Lindsey saw the sword attached to her leg, the affidavit said.
Lindsey later told the FBI that she had taken the backpack from her hotel room after attending Trump’s speech. She described her confiscated weapons as “tools” and acknowledged that they were in her backpack when she entered the Capitol, the affidavit said.
Lindsey was released after her arrest on July 28.
Lindsey did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment. An attorney representing Lindsey at her initial court appearance did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
