Two young adults from the Athens area are the latest Georgians to be arrested as part of the continuing investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Nolan Harold Kidd, 21, of Crawford, and Savannah Danielle McDonald, 20, of Elberton, both claimed they were ushered into and out of the Capitol by police during the unrest, according to an FBI affidavit and video interviews both gave to an independent journalist outside the Capitol.
“They were so nice to us,” McDonald told the Young Patriot Society in a video posted to YouTube and TikTok. “We were talking to the police officers in there, the city police, and they told us, they were like, ‘We can get you out of here safely. Just wait a minute until we can figure out a safe route.’ So we waited it out and talked to them. They didn’t take our names, nothing. They said, ‘All right, we’ve got a place for you to go and the cops snuck us out safely so we wouldn’t get hurt.’”
While in that interview with the Young Patriot Society, McDonald and Kidd emphasized the peaceful nature of their participation in the insurrection, the footage apparently taken by Kidd from inside the Capitol tells a more nuanced story.
“I’ve been tear-gassed three times,” McDonald said in a cell phone video. “Three times.”
“Me too,” a male voice replied. “But we broke, we broke through.”
Other Jan. 6 suspects have claimed police allowed them to enter the Capitol. Prosecutors have pushed back on that narrative by pointing out that suspects passed through multiple barriers and braved non-lethal deterrents like tear gas before they entered the Capitol.
In the interview, McDonald said she and Kidd were “within the first 100-150 people” to enter the Capitol. In a Snapchat message obtained by the FBI, McDonald allegedly admitted to entering the Senate chamber.
“I’m the only girl that made it into the Senate,” she wrote, according to the FBI affidavit.
Within a week of the riot, the FBI received multiple tips that Kidd and McDonald had been inside the Capitol, the affidavit also says. The tips included screenshots of the pair from Kidd’s Facebook account with the caption, “Just made it home. I have tons of photos and videos to share with you guys.”
Credit: FBI affidavit
Credit: FBI affidavit
Kidd allegedly removed the pictures on Jan. 7 when he realized he faced the prospect of arrest. The FBI affidavit said Kidd explained in a private Facebook message to a friend, “The FBI are trying to identity anyone that (was) inside and press charges.”
In a group chat obtained by the FBI, McDonald and Kidd allegedly bragged about their participation in the hours after the riot.
“We weren’t just there we went farther than almost anyone into the building ... Maybe about top 15 people,” one message read. “Me and Savannah are (expletive) STORMTROOPERS.”
In interviews with the FBI on Jan. 14-15, both Kidd and McDonald acknowledged they were in the photos, but they remained free for months before their arrest on June 11. Court records indicating their arrest were unsealed Wednesday.
They were represented by a public defender in their initial court appearance June 11 and were allowed to leave custody on an unsecured $25,000 bond. That means they didn’t have to put up the money or collateral for the bond but could be liable for that amount if they fail to show up for court.
McDonald did not respond to an email from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution seeking comment, and Kidd did not return a message left with a relative.
The pair join 11 other Georgians arrested in the riot. Both face felony charges that could land them in prison for up to 10 years.
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