Police identified three people who died on Wednesday on Capitol grounds, where a mob urged by President Trump stormed the building and attempted a coup, such as Benjamin Phillips, 50, Roseanne Boyland, 34, and Kevin Greeson, 55.
All three died of medical emergencies, said Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee. The police did not specify what these medical emergencies were, but Greeson, who was from Athens, Alabama and had traveled to DC, to participate in what became an uprising, died of a heart attack, his wife Kristi Greeson told BuzzFeed News.
“He was not there to participate in violence or turmoil, nor did he tolerate such actions,” she said. “Kevin had a history of hypertension and, in the midst of agitation, suffered a heart attack.”
On a pro-Trump social media site, Parler, Greeson praised the Proud Boys and insulted senior Democratic leaders, including President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Mayor Nancy Pelosi and Stacey Abrams.
He also posted swearing comments about Republican lawmakers who, he said, did not support Trump and advocated violence against “communist motherfuckers”.
Greeson also supported Trump’s baseless and refuted claims that a nationwide electoral fraud conspiracy cost him the election, and he defended the use of firearms to “defend our country”.
In a post in Parler in mid-November, Greeson wrote: “All men over the age of 18 join a group … be ready to defend our country !! Spend your money on weapons and ammunition … It’s time to stop this shit! !!!! “
“I don’t give a shit about COVID … we have a scam going on in our bloody country.! These motherfucker demos are going to make COVID look like a runny nose! There you go, fuck this county!” he wrote in December.
“Let’s take this country back! Load your weapons and go to the streets!” Greeson also posted, days later.
He also shared a photo on the platform of himself carrying two large firearms, with the caption: “I would like these motherfuckers to come to my neighborhood!”
Greeson appeared to have supported Trump since 2016, when he tweeted about the then-presidential candidate. His last tweet, in 2017, said “I love TRUMP”.
He also attached a “Trump – Pence 2020” border to his current Facebook profile picture.
The family learned of his death on Wednesday. Kristi described him as a wonderful father and husband and said that his family is devastated.
The 34-year-old woman who died was from Kennesaw, Georgia. Like Greeson, Boyland was an avid supporter of Trump, according to his social media posts. Axios reported that Boyland was crushed during the violation of the Capitol building. MPD did not respond to the BuzzFeed News confirmation request.
Philips, the 50-year-old man who died, ran a pro-Trump social media site that also sold toys for animals created to look like Trump.
He organized transporting dozens from Pennsylvania, where he lived, to DC on Wednesday, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. His friends told the agency that he did not appear at the time of the train’s departure and learned from the police that Philips had a stroke and died in a hospital.
The MPD also identified Ashli Babbitt as the woman who was shot in the neck by the Capitol police after she broke into the building next to a crowd. Babbitt was an Air Force veteran and fervent supporter of Trump and a follower of QAnon, the mass illusion that absurdly claims the president is fighting a conspiracy of pedophiles.
The officer who shot Babbitt was put on administrative leave and MPD is investigating the incident, Contee said.
Thousands of Trump supporters responded to the president’s call to travel to Washington, DC on Wednesday to overturn the election results he lost. Groups of people broke into the Capitol building, smashing windows, fighting with the police, looting and damaging government properties, while broadcasting their illegal acts over the internet.
It is not clear whether Greeson, Boyland or Philips entered the Capitol building or had medical problems outside. The police did not confirm their locations, simply saying that all medical emergencies occurred “on Capitol grounds.”
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