On Thursday afternoon, a woman driving a black Infiniti rammed her car into a White House barrier, sending police on a high-speed chase that sent Capitol Hill into lockdown and ended in a car crash and gunfire.
We now know that that woman was 34-year-old Miriam Carey, a licensed dental hygienist in Connecticut and a mother of one. Police shot her vehicle multiple times as it was nearing the U.S. Capitol, killing her inside. The toddler in the backseat was unharmed and is now in protective custody.
She was unarmed.
Police are still trying to determine why Carey drove 270 miles from her home in Stamford to Washington D.C., but they have uncovered some details about her life that may lead investigators to a motive.
Here’s what we know about Carey:
– Authorities are indicating that the mother suffered delusions due to a history of mental illness.
– She grew up in Brooklyn, NY and split her time between NY and Connecticut.
– Her mother revealed that the 34-year-old suffered from postpartum depression since giving birth to her daughter, Erica, last year.
– Her former employer, dentist Barry Weiss, confirmed that she had suffered a fall in January 2012 and was out for two or three weeks. When she returned, she was pregnant. She was fired a few months later after patients complained that she was “rough.”
– Her sister, Amy, told the Washington Post that she was not aware her sister was in Washington D.C. or had plans to visit the city. Her mother added that she thought her daughter was taking Erica to the doctor’s.
– Police visited the home of Carey last night in Stamford, Conn. to further investigate. They found no hazardous materials and nothing out of the ordinary.
– According to the Daily Mail, investigators believe that Carey thought President Obama was stalking her.
Here is the video of the high-speed car chase between Carey and law enforcement:
Here are more photographs of Miriam Carey:
For a play-by-play of the high-speed car chase/shooting incident that sent Capitol Hill into lockdown, click here.
The investigation remains active. We’ll keep you updated on the latest details in this case.
SOURCE: NBC, Washington Post, Daily Mail| PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook
