Capitol Hill Shooting: Miriam Carey, Driver of Vehicle, Reportedly Suffered Postpartum Depression
New information about the U.S. Capitol Hill shooting emerged as family members described the woman behind the wheel of a car that led police on a chase and ultimately crashed into a gate at the White House. Miriam Carey, 34, a dental hygienist from Stamford, Connecticut, reportedly suffered from postpartum depression, which may have been a factor in the incident.
"She had postpartum depression after having the baby" last August, Carey's mother told ABC News. "A few months later, she got sick. She was depressed. She was hospitalized," Idella Carey explained.
Idella could not imagine why her daughter was in Washington, D.C. when she was supposed to be taking her little girl to a doctor's appointment in Connecticut. Friends are also confused about Miriam's actions and describe her as a "non-political person" who was "always happy."
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"I would never in a million years believe that she would do something like this," Miriam's boss, Dr. Steven Oken, told ABC. "It's the furthest thing from anything I would think she would do, especially with her child in the car. I am floored that it would be her."
Miriam rammed a gate at the White House before turning around and leading police on a chase that ended at Capitol Hill. During the incident, two officers were injured, and once Miriam was at Capitol Hill, officers opened fired, killing her and rescuing her daughter from the scene.
"This appears to be an isolated incident," Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine told the New York Daily News. "There is no nexus to terrorism."
No weapons were found in the vehicle, but police, along with the FBI, are reportedly searching Miriam's home just to be certain nothing is overlooked.
"The family is disturbed… How would you feel? You see these things happen to people… you wonder how these things happen," Carey family attorney Eric Sanders told the press Thursday night. "No one knows the exact circumstances of how this really occurred. The family wants that investigated."
