The driver of the vehicle that sparked a chase in Washington DC, and forced the Capitol building to be under a brief lockdown, has been identified as Miriam Carey. Her mother said in an interview that her daughter was suffering from post-partum depression.
The incident began when the suspect rammed a gate at the White House. She did not stop for the Secret Service, beginning a chase that lead to the Capital. Shots were fired and the driver was killed. Inside the car was a 1-year-old girl who was not hurt.
According to The Associated Press, the car was traced to Stamford, Conn. and authorities there are assisting federal authorities with their investigation, mayor Michael Pavia said. Sources for the AP identified the woman as Miriam Carey.
The 34-year-old woman’s mother, Idella Carey, spoke with ABC News and said that she had “post-partum depression after having the baby” in August 2012. Idella Carey continued, “A few months later, she got sick. She was depressed. ... She was hospitalized.”
Her mother confirmed that Carey did have a 1-year-old daughter named Erica. Authorities say that the girl is in “protective custody.”
Dr. Brian Evans, Carey’s former boss, told the NY Daily News that she “fell down some stairs and she had a pretty significant head injury” towards the end of her two-year tenure with him. He let Carey go last year but “it was nothing related to any mental problems that we were in tune to,” although he said she had a temper.
Officials told USA Today that all the gunfire came from police and another official confirmed that no weapons were found in Carey’s car.