Police identify woman shot by Capitol police as Ashli ​​Babbitt

His posts on social media leave clues as to how a 35-year-old military veteran became an angry supporter of the president.

In a recent post, she included the hashtag # WWG1WGA, or Where We Go 1 We Go All, a slogan associated with QAnon, a far-right, loosely organized network and community of believers who embrace a range of unfounded beliefs.

Babbitt died on Wednesday after being shot by the Capitol Police, the police said, for being part of the crowd that intended to interrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election. The Capitol Police identified Babbitt on Thursday and said the police officer who shot her was put on leave while her death is investigated.

Mrs. Babbitt lived in San Diego. She and her husband owned a pool service and supply company in the suburbs of San Diego, according to the commercial records of the state of California. Her husband did not respond to phone and email messages.

Robert J. Contee III, head of the DC Metropolitan Police, described the incident on Wednesday. “A Capitol Police officer fired a service weapon that hit an adult woman,” he said. “She was transported to a local hospital where all efforts to save lives have failed. She was pronounced dead. “

Several videos of the shooting posted on social media show Babbitt, who appears to be wearing a Trump flag as a cover, falling from a broken window after being shot by a policeman on the other side of a double door. The doors appear to have been blocked to prevent protesters from entering the Congress hall.

In the videos, several police officers appear to be providing first aid to Mrs. Babbitt, who was taken to a hospital and later died of her injuries.

On Wednesday, Babbitt’s husband told San Diego’s KUSI television station that she was a passionate supporter of Trump. A Facebook page attributed to Babbitt says the two were married in 2019.

On social media profiles in her name, Ms. Babbitt is described as a veteran and libertarian who loved her husband, her big black and white dog “and, above all, my country”.

Ms. Babbitt served in the United States Air Force under the name Ashli ​​Elizabeth McEntee, in the branch security forces, between 2004 and 2008, according to military records. She was a senior airman, an E-4 post, and served for the last time at Dyess Air Force Base, near Abilene, Texas. She did not become a junior officer after years in the reserve and in the National Guard, according to official records.

She left active duty in April 2008 and served in the Air Force Reserve from 2008 to 2010 and then served in the National Air Guard until 2016, according to records.

During her career, she was deployed abroad, including in Iraq.

It was in 2016 that Ms. Babbitt was issued the first of two peace orders, the Maryland version of a restraining order, according to court records, although they do not provide details on who requested the order. She had another restraining order filed against her in 2017, according to the Maryland court records. She was also charged in Maryland that year for “intentional damage to motor vehicles without the owner’s consent”, but was found not guilty. She was again charged in 2016 with reckless dangerousness, of which she was found innocent, and malicious destruction of property, of which she was acquitted, that same year, the case records show. In 2019, she had a complaint against her for aggressive direction that was rejected for lack of jurisdiction, the case records show.

Since her death, Ms. Babbitt has been regarded by many pro-Trump social media accounts as a kind of martyr. Virginia state senator Amanda Chase, who was at the Capitol on Wednesday, wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday night: “ASHLI BABBITT; say her name. A veteran who was brutally murdered by the Capitol Police today. “

Right-wing social media influencer Rogan O’Handley, who has 1.8 million followers on Instagram, praised Babbitt. “She didn’t deserve to be shot and killed by the Capitol police while disarmed.” The post has been liked more than 186,000 times.

On Twitter, an account in his name that uses the nickname “CommonAshSense”, routinely retweeted Trump supporters, including lawyer L. Lin Wood. She retweeted several posts about Wednesday’s demonstration. On Wednesday, she retweeted a comment from Wood asking Vice President Mike Pence to resign and be charged with treason. This tweet was removed by Twitter.

The account, opened in October 2016, includes retweets and comments that support conspiracy theories. In November 2018, she posted a couple of videos, recorded while driving, complaining about California politicians.

“How about we worry about what the hell you’re doing. What did you do? “Said Mrs. Babbitt.” I’m saying it now, I’m warning you all. Each of you California politicians. ”

She named Governor Gavin Newsom, former Governor Jerry Brown, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, all Democrats, and former Republican Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter.

The account also shared posts against wearing masks to limit the spread of the coronavirus. On December 9, responding to a report from an underground party ending in Los Angeles, she tweeted that Covid-19 was a joke.

“You are not a threat to anyone just by breathing. The officers are fine, but they should be ashamed. COVID IS AF – ING PIKE! They will face no punishment in court … this is America, not China. There are rules here about freedoms and things like that! ” she wrote.

—Jim Oberman and Deepa Seetharaman contributed to this article.

Write to Andrew Duehren at [email protected], Alicia A. Caldwell at [email protected] and Gordon Lubold at [email protected]