Thanks for any insight. I have an opinion of my own, but may be wrong.
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I can think of a few reasons.
Tension release designed to mark the end of the operation and help disperse the crowd. I recall at the time that news of the shooting spread through the crowd and having a sort of numbing effect, taking the energy level down, etc.
Event designed to incite the crowd. The opposite of option one, of course. The event just didn't seem to manifest escalating characteristics though.
As u/aumoune suggests, the event was needed to fulfill some sort of legal requirements w/respect to a legal definition, e.g. insurrection or posse comitatus act:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurrection_Act_of_1807
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act
So maybe the refusal of Pelosi and Bowser to protect the Cpaitol were cover for POTUS to invoke something.