Authorities Identify Woman Killed By Police During U.S. Capitol Rioting

The United States Capitol Police have identified the woman who was shot and killed by one of their officers during the pro-Trump rioting on Wednesday as Ashli E. Babbitt, an Air Force veteran from the San Diego area.

She was among the rioters who stormed the Capitol building.

Babbitt, 35, was one of four people who died during Wednesday’s chaotic events, according to Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). MPD Police Chief Robert Contee said the three others who died experienced unspecified «medical emergencies.





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Ashli Babbitt of San Diego, seen here in a photo posted on Twitter in 2020, was shot and killed by U.S. Capitol Police during the insurrection at the Capitol on Wednesday.





@Ashli_Babbitt/Screenshot by NPR



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@Ashli_Babbitt/Screenshot by NPR



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«Medical assistance was rendered immediately, and the female was transported to the hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries.

A law enforcement official told NPR that Babbitt was unarmed.

Members of Babbitt’s family expressed shock at the news.

«I’m numb. I’m devastated. Nobody from DC notified my son and we found out on TV, Ashli Babbitt’s mother-in-law, Robin Babbitt, told the New York Post.

«Her laugh was infectious and her smile would brighten up any dark situation, Timothy McEntee told NPR. «Her loss won’t be an easy pill to swallow. I’m struggling myself to accept she’s no longer with us.

The Capitol Police along with the MPD are investigating the shooting, and the officer who killed Babbitt has been placed on administrative leave, per standard policy.

Regardless of the outcome of that investigation, on Wednesday, Mayor Muriel Bowser blamed President Trump for the circumstances that led to Babbitt’s death.

«His constant and divisive rhetoric led to the abhorrent actions we saw, said Bowser. «And sadly it led to a loss of life that will forever stain what could have been and what should have been a peaceful transfer of power.

NPR’s Carrie Johnson contributed to this report.