The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk is sending shock waves through Capitol Hill, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle expressing fears for their own safety and taking greater security precautions following a summer of political violence.
Members are beefing up their security, moving public events indoors or canceling them altogether. One [Mace] is even vowing to carry firearms.
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Threats to members of Congress were already on the rise before Kirk’s death. By the end of this calendar year, the U.S. Capitol Police said it is on track to work through 14,000 threat assessment cases involving members, up from 9,000 last year.
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The U.S. Capitol Police, which fought off a politically motivated and violent mob on Jan. 6, 2021, said in a statement that it has “been operating in a heightened threat environment for a long time.”
“Our officers, agents and professional staff remain focused as they work around the clock,” the agency statement continued. “Although, for safety reasons, we cannot provide specific details about our increased security posture, we continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to carry out our critical mission.”
