Thomas Baranyi

Case Summary

When Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt was fatally shot by police inside the U.S. Capitol, she fell backward onto Thomas Baranyi, according to court documents. In an interview with a Washington, D.C., television station, Baranyi, wearing a blue New York Giants sweatshirt and a backwards baseball hat, shows the camera blood on his hands and says: “It was a joke to them until we got inside and then all of a sudden, guns came out, but I mean, we’re at a point now, it can’t be allowed to stand. We have to do something. People have to do something, because this could be you or your kids." In the TV interview, which is also detailed in the court documents, Baranyi says, “We tore through the scaffolding, through flash bangs and tear gas, and blitzed our way in through all the chambers just trying to get into Congress or whoever we could get in to and tell them that we need some kind of investigation into this.” In July 2020, Baranyi enlisted in the Marine Corps, but according to the Marines, he "was separated prior to completing entry level training." Baranyi served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Albania from January 2018 until March 2020, according to the Peace Corps.

Case History

Baranyi pleaded Guilty to one charge: Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 6/17/2022 to 90 days incarceration; 1 year of supervised release; $25 special assessment; $500 in restitution; 60 hours of community service. Baranyi received a full pardon on January 20, 2025

Sources

• Primary Documentation
  NPR Jan. 6 Defendant DatabaseNPR
• Primary Documentation
  Underlying court recordCourt record linked by NPR

Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.