Police stand behind their shields outside the Capitol after a day of rioting on Wednesday.
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Police stand behind their shields outside the Capitol after a day of rioting on Wednesday. / AP

Updated at 6:47 a.m. ET

Pro-Trump extremists stormed Capitol Hill on Wednesday, halting the Electoral College certification and sending the U.S. Capitol into lockdown.

Chaos erupted. A woman was shot and killed. Violent mobs smashed windows and occupied the Capitol building. Police had their guns drawn inside the Capitol as they attempted to control the situation.

The assault comes after two months of President Trump and other Republican leaders baselessly saying the election was stolen from him.

Even while calling for peace in a video on Twitter, Trump repeated his claim that the election was fraudulent. "We love you. You're very special," he said, as he told his supporters in D.C. to go home.

Early Thursday morning, congress certified President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' victory after the Capitol was cleared of pro-Trump extremists.

See scenes from the assault below.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

A Congress staffer holds his hands up while Capitol Police Swat team check everyone in the room as they secure the floor of Trump supporters who mobbed the Capitol building.
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A Congress staffer holds his hands up while Capitol Police Swat team check everyone in the room as they secure the floor of Trump supporters who mobbed the Capitol building. / AFP via Getty Images

Pro-Trump extremists storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally with President Trump on Wednesday.
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Pro-Trump extremists storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally with President Trump on Wednesday. / Getty Images

Left: Rioters gather at the door of the U.S. Capitol building. Right: A member of the mob wears a gas mask after storming the U.S. Capitol.
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Left: Rioters gather at the door of the U.S. Capitol building. Right: A member of the mob wears a gas mask after storming the U.S. Capitol. / Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images; Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Extremists breached security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the 2020 electoral vote tally.
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Extremists breached security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the 2020 electoral vote tally. / AFP via Getty Images

Left: U.S. Capitol Police draw their guns as rioters attempt to enter the House chamber. Right: Members of Congress run for cover as people try to force their way into the House chamber.
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Left: U.S. Capitol Police draw their guns as rioters attempt to enter the House chamber. Right: Members of Congress run for cover as people try to force their way into the House chamber. / Getty Images

An extremist hangs from the balcony in the Senate chamber.
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An extremist hangs from the balcony in the Senate chamber. / Getty Images

A rioter carries off a lectern inside the U.S. Capitol.
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A rioter carries off a lectern inside the U.S. Capitol. / Getty Images

Rioters climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol.
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Rioters climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol. / AP

Pro-Trump extremists clash with police and security forces as they invade the inauguration platform.
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Pro-Trump extremists clash with police and security forces as they invade the inauguration platform. / AFP via Getty Images

Left: A person on a stretcher is loaded into an ambulance outside the Capitol on Wednesday. Right: Authorities remove people from the Capitol.
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Left: A person on a stretcher is loaded into an ambulance outside the Capitol on Wednesday. Right: Authorities remove people from the Capitol. / AP

A flag hangs from broken windows at the Capitol.
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A flag hangs from broken windows at the Capitol. / AP