Police descend on Stamford condo complex in Capitol shooting investigationStaff Report
Updated 7:44 pm, Thursday, October 3, 2013
Local and federal authorities search a condominium at 114 Woodside Green in Stamford, Conn. related to a woman's attempt to ram the White House gate today in Washington, D.C. Photo: Jason Rearick
Local and federal authorities search a condominium at 114 Woodside Green in Stamford, Conn. related to a woman's attempt to ram the White House gate today in Washington, D.C. Photo: Jason
STAMFORD -- A Stamford woman was shot and killed after trying to ram her car into the White House gate and leading police on a high-speed chase past the Capitol with her 18-month-old daughter in tow.
Miriam Carey, 34, of 114 Woodside Green drove her black Infiniti sedan onto a driveway leading to the White House, over a set of lowered barricades. When Carey couldn't get through a second barrier, she spun the car in the opposite direction, flipping a Secret Service officer over the hood of the car as she sped away, said B.J. Campbell, a tourist from Portland, Ore.
A representative of Carey's family in Brooklyn, N.Y. said the family is still gathering information and was surprised by Thursday's incident. The family is expected to issue a statement later Thursday night, said Dennis Jones, a friend of the family.
Carey's car at one point had been surrounded by police cars and she managed to escape, careening around a traffic circle and past the north side of the Capitol. Video shot by a TV camerman showed police pointing firearms at her car before she rammed a Secret Service vehicle and continued driving. Lanier said police shot and killed her a block northeast of the historic building.
One Secret Service member and a 23-year veteran of the Capitol Police were injured. Officials said they are in good condition and expected to recover.
"This appears to be an isolated, singular matter, with, at this point, no nexus to terrorism," said Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine.
Police shot and killed Carey just outside the Hart Senate Office Building, where many senators have their offices. Dine said an officer took the child from the car to a hospital. She is in good condition under protective custody, officials said.
Police along with federal law enforcement officials have descended on the Woodside Green condominium complex near downtown. A police official on the scene confirmed their presence is tied to the Capitol shooting.
Police using a bomb-detecting robot have entered 114 Woodside Green where Carey lives. Federal agents showed neighbors a photo of the suspect, but did not identify the woman, according to neighbors. Residents of the complex are not being allowed to reenter their homes.
Stamford police and FBI agents converged on the scene. Two plain clothes officers escorted a woman into the building and emerged a short time later, the woman carrying a small white dog.
Vanessa Fabre, who moved into Woodside Green this past February, shook her head when she heard the woman involved may be one of her neighbors.
"That's crazy," she said.
Fabre just drove into the complex parking lot and saw the police surrounding the complex and two news helicopters hovering overhead.
"The people here seem very nice, but there are some weird people here."