U.S. Capitol Police have opened an investigation into the shooting death of a woman during Wednesday's riots during a joint session of Congress, said Police Chief Steven Sund.
Protesters "actively attacked United States Capitol Police Officers and other uniformed law enforcement officers with metal pipes, discharged chemical irritants, and took up other weapons against our officers," Sund said in a press release. "They were determined to enter into the Capitol Building by causing great damage."
"As protesters were forcing their way toward the House Chamber where Members of Congress were sheltering in place, a sworn USCP employee discharged their service weapon, striking an adult female," Sund said. "Medical assistance was rendered immediately, and the female was transported to the hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries. She has been identified as Ashli Babbitt."
The officer has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation, according to administration policy, Sund said.
According to the The San Diego Union-Tribune, one video of the encounter shows rioters breaking glass windows from barricaded doors leading into the Speaker's Lobby, a hallway leading to the House Chamber where lawmakers were sheltered in place.
After the windows were smashed, a woman crawls into one of the openings and a shot rings out and the woman falls back to the floor. Others immediately shout for aid, which is then rendered by Capitol Police.
A family member and Babbitt's ex-husband told the newspaper that the woman was Babbitt, who was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Her ex-husband, Timothy McEntee, called her "a wonderful woman with a big heart and a strong mind." They were married for 14 years, divorcing in May 2019. The two served in the U.S. Air Force together during that time, he said.
"I am in a state of shock and feel absolutely terrible for her family," said. "She loved America with all her heart. It's truly a sad day."
"No one has contacted us," a family member told the Union-Tribune. "No official person has gotten back to us despite the many phone calls."
Three other people died during the riots during what police described as "medical emergencies."
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