Following the events of January 6, a suburban Chicago man has been charged with multiple crimes for firing a handgun on Capitol grounds. John Emanuel Banuelos, 39, of Summit, Illinois, was arrested by the FBI at his sister’s home in Summit on March 8.
Banuelos is facing charges of carrying and discharging a firearm on Capitol property, obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm on Capitol grounds, carrying a firearm on Capitol grounds, and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.
In a video, Banuelos can be seen firing two rounds into the air near the U.S. Capitol on January 6. This incident stands out as the only known case of a rioter discharging a weapon near the Capitol during the chaotic events of that day.
Despite being questioned by Utah police in connection to a separate case in 2021, Banuelos had not been arrested until his recent encounter with the FBI. The charging documents also reveal that Banuelos denied intending to threaten anyone with his social media posts, claiming that some were generated by artificial intelligence.
Banuelos made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Chicago on March 8 and is currently in custody awaiting a detention hearing set for March 13. The investigation into his actions on January 6 continues, shedding light on the events that transpired at the Capitol that day.
