A woman who was fatally shot by Capitol police as a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday has been identified as an Air Force veteran from San Diego.
The brother-in-law of Ashli Babbitt, 35, told NBC affiliate KNSD that she went to Washington, D.C., to join the protest against Trump's defeat in the presidential election.
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"Ashli was both loyal as well as extremely passionate about what she believed in," Justin Jackson told KNSD. "She loved this country and felt honored to have served in our Armed Forces. Please keep her family in your thoughts and respect their privacy during this time."
Jackson said he was notified by the Metro Police Department in Washington that Babbitt had been killed but was not given any further details.
The riot forced the Senate to evacuate the building before Congress returned early Thursday morning to affirm that President-elect Joe Biden won the November election.
A tweet sent by Babbitt on Tuesday referred to Wednesday's protest.
"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.
Washington Police Chief Robert Contee told reporters that a woman was shot by Capitol Police as the mob tried to break through a barricaded door inside the Capitol, but did not identify her by name, according to NBC Washington. Contee said the department's internal affairs unit is investigating the shooting.
A woman believed to be Babbitt was seen in a viral video attempting to climb through a shattered window inside the building when she was shot.
NBC News congressional correspondent Leigh Ann Caldwell tweeted a photo of the scene Thursday, saying the shooting occurred at the entrance of the Speaker’s Lobby outside the House chamber.
"Shards of glass remain on the floor," Caldwell wrote.
There were four confirmed deaths that occurred during the assault on the Capitol, according to Contee. The other three were medical emergencies that happened on the Capitol grounds.