St. Louis Cardinals superfan ‘Rally Runner’ arrested for alleged role in Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol
Daniel Donnelly admitted in a video on Facebook that he was at the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, and that others “followed my lead”
A St. Louis Cardinals superfan was charged this week with felony civil disorder for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Daniel Donnelly Jr., otherwise known as “Rally Runner,” is facing five federal charges, including a felony count of civil disorder, after officials said he stormed the U.S. Capitol in 2021.
Donnelly posted a 26-minute video on Facebook in which he admitted to being at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and said he “literally got further than anyone.” Authorities said he helped a crowd pass a ladder to the entrance of a tunnel that led into the Capitol and later threw items, yelled at police and held up a riot shield while others sprayed chemical irritants, per the report.
In his video, Donnelly said others “followed my lead.”
He was interviewed by authorities later that month, but he wasn’t charged until this week. At one point, Donnelly became the subject of a conspiracy pushed by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Donnelly was arrested Wednesday in Missouri.
Donnelly, 43, is best known as a Cardinals superfan who frequently paints his face red and jogs around Busch Stadium. He’s accused of wearing his all-red gear and face paint to the Capitol in 2021.
Donnelly’s arrest came one day after former President Donald Trump was indicted on four federal charges related to his effort to overturn the presidential election results in 2020 ahead of the riot at the Capitol. It marked the third time Trump has been indicted since leaving office.
Donnelly is the second superfan from Missouri to be arrested and federally charged this summer. Kansas City Chiefs superfan “ChiefsAholic” was arrested in July after he allegedly perpetrated a string of bank robberies throughout the Midwest. Xaviar Babudar, who attended Chiefs games in a wolf costume, had been on the run from authorities for about four months