Thread by @hunterw

There is a debate going on here about whether people who were at the Capitol complex had a right to be scared on January 6. I was there.

I would like to think I have seen some things in my day. I have been present for violent protests, shootings, violent protests, a fatal accident, and a terrorist attack. January 6 was one of the scariest things I have ever witnessed.

I keep flashing back to the first moment I realized people were inside the dome. There was no data reception. I hadn't seen it online. I called my editors to let them know.

The moment I hung up one thought rang out in my head, "This is so dangerous." I knew people being inside there meant shooting could break out at any moment.

I keep flashing back to this because it was when I realized this could turn deadly – and it did.

Along with the danger, there was the sight of such chaos at that iconic dome.

That's a place that is supposed to be so secure. Everything was out of control and unpredictable.

As a New Yorker who was there that day too, it reminded me of 9/11 – and that's a comparison I'd never make lightly.

The scope is obviously different but it was impossible to know at the time.

And seeing things that just aren't supposed to be possible creates a unique panic.

I had seen reporters attacked - that day and this summer. I tried to keep a low profile. I can't imagine what the experience was like for people whose names and faces made them known. The crowd was clearly armed and dangerous.

I am a reporter and I am a man. There's a lot of reasons I don't like to talk abiut fear in a personal sense. However, it's important for me to bring you all a clear story of what happened that day – especially if it's being minimized or forgotten. It was terror.

I think one reason we're not being entirely clear about how serious this was is that the pandemic has really disconnected people from reality. The extraordinary has become normal and we're all watching it at a distance. It was also a moment of transition.

But 1/6 is exactly how we should be thinking about this and we should not forget.

Really appreciate all the great responses to this thread. I did this video with @CBSNLive abut my experience covering the Capitol on 1/6 a few days after the attack. cbsnews.com/video/yahoo-wh…