The person shot at the Capitol Building has died: Everything to know

Protests were expected at Congress’s meeting on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., but many called the escalation into storming the Capitol building unprecedented. While the House & Senate were in the middle of certifying the Electoral College votes from each state’s presidential election, Trump supporters pushed their way into the Capitol Building.

Demonstrations turned violent, and the National Guard was sent out. In the aftermath, the building was shut down for some hours in the afternoon and a city-wide curfew was enacted in Washington D.C. 

A woman was pronounced dead after being shot at the Capitol Building. Her name was Ashli Babbitt, and she was shot by police as she reportedly tried to break through a door to break inside the building.

A day of chaos at the Capitol Building

During part of the Senate proceedings,  Senator James Lankford was speaking. According to The Washington Post, an aide interrupted him and said there were protesters inside. Doors to both the Senate & House closed and U.S. Capitol Police said no one was allowed in or out of the Capitol Complex buildings. “Stay away from exterior windows, doors. If outside, seek cover,” police said.

The Washington Post reported that an anonymous defense official and anonymous District official said the National Guard was sent to the scene after D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s request. Bowser reportedly asked that guard members on duty be sent to the Capitol Building. Bowser also set a citywide curfew from Wednesday at 6 p.m. to Thursday at 6 a.m. She said only essential personnel could go outdoors within the city.

Joe Biden talked about the violence in a televised speech. “I call on this mob to pull back and allow the work of democracy to go forward,” said Biden. Washington D.C. police chief Robert Contee said that along with Babbitt, three other people died from “medical emergencies” during the Capitol Building siege.

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!

— CommonAshSense (@Ashli_Babbitt) January 5, 2021

Who was Ashli Babbitt?

Ashli Babbitt was thirty-five years old when she was killed by police at the Capitol Building. Her husband told KUSI, a San Diego news station, that she supported Trump and was traveling to D.C. from where she lived in San Diego. She was a military veteran who served for fourteen years in the U.S. Air Force.

“As protesters were forcing their way toward the House Chamber where Members of Congress were sheltering in place, a sworn (U.S. Capitol Police) employee discharged their service weapon, striking an adult female,” said police in a statement Thursday. “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.”

Before Wednesday’s protests, Babbitt posted on Twitter. “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 wrote.

Other notable happenings at the Capitol Building

According to The Guardian, Contee said fourteen officers were injured during the Capitol Building siege. One of them was sent to the hospital after getting dragged into a crowd & assaulted. One officer was hit by a projectile which caused “significant facial injuries.” 

Contee said there were fifty-two total arrests made. Five of them were for firearms offenses and forty-seven were for unlawful entry and curfew violations. Twenty-six of the arrests took place at the Capitol Building.

Bowser said Donald Trump was to blame for what happened at the Capitol Building. “We saw an unprecedented attack on our American democracy incited by the United States president,” she said. “He must be held accountable. His constant and divisive rhetoric led to the abhorrent actions we saw today.”