WASHINGTON (KGTV) — The family of a San Diego woman who was shot and killed after pro-Trump supporters charged the U.S. Capitol building was notified of her passing late Wednesday night.
Ashli Babbitt was among the thousands of people gathered in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday to protest President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.
The shooting happened shortly after 3 p.m. while lawmakers certified the Electoral College votes. Demonstrators broke away from the outdoor protest and forced their way into the Capitol, effectively taking over the building and prompting those inside to shelter in place.
Images and video from the scene show violent clashes between officers and protesters in hallways and stairwells. Police said some protesters were able to gain access by using “chemical irritants” on law enforcement.
Babbitt was shot as a group of protesters tried to rush through a barricaded door inside the building. She was hospitalized with a gunshot wound and later died.
During a press conference Wednesday night, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee said a Capitol police officer fired the shot. Authorities in Washington have not officially identified Babbitt as the deceased.
According to Babbitt's social media pages, she was a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump and traveled to D.C. to take part in the "Save America" rally. On Tuesday, she told her Twitter followers, "Nothing will stop us...."
"Nothing will stop us....they can try and try and try but the storm is here and it is descending upon DC in less than 24 hours....dark to light!," she said.
Babbitt, an Air Force veteran, grew up in Lakeside, California, a suburb of San Diego. She owned a pool service and supply company with her husband, according to her social media pages. No other details about Babbitt have been shared at this time.
She was one of four people who died at or near the Capitol Wednesday. Contee confirmed that one adult female and two adult males passed away from unrelated medical emergencies.
More than 50 protesters were arrested. Congress resumed counting Electoral College ballots around 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday after the six-hour disruption.
This article was written by KGTV.
