Ashli Babbitt: 5 Things To Know About Air Force Veteran Who Was Shot & Killed During Riots At Capitol

Ashli Babbitt was identified as the woman who was shot during horrifying riots as Trump supporters overtook the nation's Capitol. Following the terrifying events, here are five facts about her.

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January 7, 2021 3:43PM EST
Ashli Babbitt
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Trump supporters gather outside the Capitol, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. As Congress prepares to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory, thousands of people have gathered to show their support for President Donald Trump and his claims of election fraud. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
DC National Guard walk around the Capitol grounds, Thursday morning, Jan. 7, 2021 in Washington. The House and Senate certified the Democrat's electoral college win early Thursday after a violent throng of pro-Trump rioters spent hours Wednesday running rampant through the Capitol. A woman was fatally shot, windows were bashed and the mob forced shaken lawmakers and aides to flee the building, shielded by Capitol Police. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
UNITED STATES - January 7: The East Front of the U.S. Capitol is seen through a shattered door leading to the center steps in Washington on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, following the riot at the Capitol the day before. (Photo by Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call via AP Images)
Image Credit: AP

Ashli Babbitt was identified as the woman who was shot and killed by Capitol police during Trump supporters’ riot at the Capitol on January 6, according to the The New York Times. Ashli was among the throngs of rioters who descended on the Capitol following a rally led by President Donald Trump not far from the Capitol building. Ashli was one of four people who were died during the riot, however, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Police Chief Robert Contee explained that the three other individuals who died experienced “medical emergencies,” which were unspecified. Here are five things to know about Ashli.

1) She attended Trump’s rally on January 6 before joining rioters at the Capitol. Ashli took to her personal Twitter account on New Year’s Day, January 1, to announce that she would be attending Trump’s rally in Washington, D.C. “I will be in DC on the 6th! God bless America and WWG1WGA,” she wrote. The acronym Ashli used is a QAnon slogan which stands for, “Where We Go One, We Go All,” according to NPR. QAnon has been described by the Anti-Defamation League as a group with a “wide-reaching conspiracy theory popular among a range of right-wing extremists.” They add that the movement has “marked undertones of antisemitism and xenophobia.”

Ashli Babbitt confirming that she would attend the January 6 rally for President Donald Trump, via Twitter.

2) Ashli was a United States Air Force Veteran. Ashli joined the military in 2004 and served until 2008, per NPR. She began her service in the Air Force reserve in 2008 and remained there until 2010, when she joined the Air National Guard until 2016. During her service, she received the Iraq Campaign Medal, which meant that she served in the Middle East country and supported the Iraq war.

U.S. Capitol Police with guns drawn stand near a barricaded door as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington [AP].
3) She was married. Her husband, Aaron spoke to KUSI News once her identity was confirmed. “She was a 14-year veteran. She served four tours with the U.S. Air Force, and was a high-level security officer throughout her time in service.” Her husband also referred to Ashli as a “patriot” and a “strong supporter of President Trump.” Ashli was previously married to Air Force veteran, Timothy McEntee, according to NPR.

Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. As Congress prepares to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, thousands of people have gathered to show their support for President Donald Trump and his claims of election fraud [AP].
4) Ashli was in her mid-30s. Ashli was roughly 35 years old at the time of her death. Ashli was shot by a Capitol Police Officer wearing plainclothes as Trump supporters tried to force their way into a part of the Capitol building where members of Congress were sheltering in place, per The New York Times. The officer who shot Ashli was put on administrative leave and their police powers were suspended.

5) She was from California. Ashli was from San Deigo, CA, where she lived with her husband and their dog.

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