Ashli Babbitt: Trump supporter shot dead in Capitol was Air Force veteran
Police say Ms Babbitt was shot by a plain-clothed officer after breaching the building and attempting to enter the House chamber.
Thursday 7 January 2021 12:36, UK
The woman shot and killed by police as protesters stormed the US Capitol has been named as 35-year-old Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt.
She served four tours of duty during her 14 years in the Air Force and was from San Diego, her husband Aaron told KUSI TV.
He said she was a strong supporter of President Trump.
"I'm numb. I'm devastated. Nobody from DC notified my son and we found out on TV," her mother-in-law, Robin Babbitt, told the New York Post.
Her brother-in-law, Justin Jackson, told NBC 7 he had been in contact with Washington police, but said they didn't tell him exactly what had led to the shooting.
He said: "Ashli was both loyal as well as extremely passionate about what she believed in. She loved this country and felt honoured to have served in our Armed Forces. Please keep her family in your thoughts and respect their privacy during this time."
Ms Babbitt was shot dead on Wednesday as she and other protesters stormed the Capitol building to disrupt the formal confirmation of Joe Biden's win in the presidential election.
She was shot by a plain-clothed police officer after breaching the building and attempting to enter the House chamber, said Washington Police Chief Robert Contee.
The shooting is being investigated by the force's internal affairs unit, which is responsible for investigating deaths involving officers.
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A fellow Trump supporter, who witnessed the shooting, told WUSA 9: "A number of police and secret service were saying 'get back, get down, get out of the way'.
"She didn't heed the call and as we kind of raced up to grab people and pull them back they shot her in the neck and she fell back on me.
"And she started to say 'it's fine, it's cool' and then she started kinda moving weird and blood was coming out of her mouth and neck and nose and I don't know if she's alive or dead any more."
He added: "I'm not injured... it could have been me, but she went in first."
Washington police confirmed another three people - a woman and two men - died during the violence from "medical emergencies".
Ms Babbitt went by the Twitter handle CommonAshSense.
The day before Wednesday's protest, she tweeted: "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 had also recently retweeted several pro-Trump messages, including a video by the president urging supporters to join the Washington march.
Responding to a tweet on Monday by conservative author Melissa Tate saying "Landing in DC. Here to do God's work. Save the Republic #StopTheSteaI", Ms Babbitt replied: "I will be there tomorrow! Gods speed!"
According to her Facebook page, she owned and ran a business, Fowlers Pool Service and Supply, with her husband.