The authorities have identified Ashli Babbitt as the woman who was shot dead by a US Capitol police officer following Wednesday’s attack by pro-Trump supporters. The records showed that Babbitt had served more than 12 years in the Air Force and Air National Guards and was also deployed on numerous occasions during the Iraqi War.
She has been a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump. A recent tweet just before the attack on the Capitol confirmed this hardline support. She was also a member of QAnon, a far-right group that upholds conspiracy theories.
While the officer who shot Babbitt has since been placed on administrative leave to allow for more investigations, there are questions left unanswered as to how Babbitt, a military veteran of repute, transformed into a die-hard supporter of the president, ready to lose her life in the process.
Investigations showed Babbitt resided in San Diego with her husband, where together they owned a pool service and supply company. Following her shooting, Babbitt was rushed to a local hospital, where all efforts to save her proved abortive. She was pronounced dead a few minutes later, Washington Post reports.
According to videos of the shooting, as seen on social media, Babbitt was shot by an officer who stood on the other side of a barricaded double-set. Following the fatal shot, Babbitt could be seen falling from a smashed-out window. After her fall, many police officers rushed at her to administer first aid before she was taken to the hospital, where she gave up.
Her husband, who spoke to a local San Diego television station, admitted that his wife was a passionate Trump supporter. The two only got married in 2019.
The service records of Babbitt show she served in the US Air Force with full names listed as Ashli Elizabeth McEntee, between 2004 and 2008. She had the rank of a senior airman and was last deployed at the Dyess Air Force Base in Texas.
In April 2008, she left active duty and was enlisted to the Air Force Reserve from 2008 to 2010, serving in the Air National Guard up until 2016. Her career involved stints abroad, including the then war-torn Iraq.
Babbitt has had many brushes with the law. Court records showed someone had placed a restraining order against her in Maryland in 2016. Another restraining order was also filed against her in 2017. She had been charged with aggressive driving, malicious destruction of property, willful motor vehicle damage, among other charges, for which she was acquitted of all.
Many pro-Trump groups and individuals have paid glowing tribute to Babbitt since her death. Virginia State Sen. Amanda Chase accused the police of brutally murdering the former military veteran. A makeshift memorial has been set up near the US Capitol for the late airman.
Source: wsj.com
