Pavia: Stamford Cannot Provide Information on Woman Shot Dead at U.S. Capitol

By Gary Jeanfaivre, David Gurliacci and Michael Dinan

Update 7:50 p.m.

Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia said in a press statement late Thursday that city officials cannot provide more information on the local woman believed to have been fatally shot in Washington, D.C. after leading police on a high-speed chase from the White House to the Capitol.

"A full investigation is underway by federal authorities who are in Stamford currently," Pavia said in the press release. "Stamford police are assisting federal authorities as needed."

The woman—identified as 34-year-old dental hygienist Miriam Carey by the New Haven Register, citing police sources—had been chased until at about 2:20 p.m. Thursday when she was shot, Georgetown Patch reports. An officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the chase, Georgetown Path reports, and a child believed to have been inside the car with the woman was taken to a hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

In his statement, the Stamford mayor directed all inquiries to the New Haven-based Connecticut Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Update 7:05 p.m.:

Michael Palmer, owner of Bridge Street Wienery, at 17 Bridge St., across the street from the apartment complex, said police arrived with patrol car lights flashing at about 5:15 p.m.

His business promptly dried up at the small restaurant specializing in hot dogs, as police blocked off both ends of the street to vehicle traffic. Police told him they didn't know how long it would last, he said.

Anybody curious enough to want a front row seat to the police and news media activity is welcome to grab a meal at the eatery, Palmer said. But you'll have to walk to get there.

Update 6:43 p.m.:

Jose Guillermo, a resident of Woodside Green Apartments, has been waiting half an hour for police to let him back inside his own home.

He saw television reports of the Washington, DC incident in a doctor's office waiting room.

He never thought the incident would hit so close to home, he said. Actually at home, in fact. "Everything is related like a net," he said.

Guillermo said he didn't recognize the name of the woman reported to be at the heart of the incident, Miriam Carey, but he wondered if he'd seen her in the two months he's lived at the complex.

Update 6:32 p.m.:

The New Haven Register reports: "A law enforcement source identified the woman to the New Haven Register as Miriam Carey, a 34-year-old dental hygienist."

Update 6:25 p.m.:

At least four helicopters are over the Woodside Green co-op apartment complex off of Bridge and Summer streets in Stamford, as Stamford police stand watch with patrol car lights flashing.

The apartment complex is said to be the home of a woman shot on Capitol Hill this afternoon after trying to ram barricades there and at the White House.

The helicopters, stationary as dragonflies far above the complex, blare down a deafening racket through the neighborhood (close by Ridgeway Shopping Center across Summer Street).

Update 5:40 p.m.:

The woman who sped from the White House to Capitol Hill was shot dead by police and her child was taken to a hospital, the Washington Post reports.

"The woman driving the car was unarmed, law enforcement sources said. All the shots in the incident, which ocurred about 2:20 p.m., were fired by police trying to stop her," according to a 4:49 p.m. update on the newspaper's website.

Update 5:38 p.m.:

"Police are descending on the Woodside Green co-op complex," the Stamford Advocate reported at 5:30 p.m. "A police official on the scene confirmed their presence is tied to the Capitol shooting."

Update 5:34 p.m.:

The Stamford woman reported to have been shot after ramming a car into a U.S. Capitol barricade may have been involved in an earlier incident at the Capitol, according to ABC News.

Nightline, a part of ABC News tweeted at 5:27 p.m.: "Police have arrived at Stamford, CT house of 34yo woman authorities are trying to confirm is suspect in earlier incident at Capitol via @ABC"

Update 5:29 p.m.:

"Just in: Police have arrived at Stamford, CT house of 34yo woman authorities are trying to confirm is suspect in earlier incident at Capitol," ABC News tweeted at 5:23 p.m.

Update 5:25 p.m.:

"Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Tex., who said he was briefed by the Homeland Security Department, said the woman was killed," the Associated Press reported.

Update 5:13 p.m.:

"After making an initial identification of the suspect, police are trying to confirm that the suspect is a 34-year-old woman from Stamford, Connecticut, with a history of mental health issues, ABC News reports." -- from the ABC News website, which reports the woman had a troubled past.

Update 5:04 p.m.:

The woman involved in the chase and shooting at the White House and Capitol Hill was shot and may be dead, according to the Associated Press. A small child with her was taken to a hospital.

A police officer received non-life-threatening injuries, according to the AP.

Update 4:59 p.m. (reports aggregated from elsewhere on the Web):

A woman, driving a black Infiniti registered to a Stamford woman born in 1979, tried to pass a barracade at the White House, then sped toward the U.S. Capitol building, where the car became involved in a shooting incident Thursday afternoon, according to numerous news reports.

The name of the woman had not been released as of 4:33 p.m., according to the Stamford Advocate, which reported that a local law enforcement official confirmed the car was registered to a Stamford woman.

The car struck a police car at the Capitol before crashing into a barricade there, according to a New York Times report.

Update 4:41 p.m.:

A car connected to this afternoon's shooting at the U.S. Capitol building is registered to a Stamford woman born in 1979, according to an NBC News report.

"Police said a woman rammed her car into a White House gate on Thursday, then led authorities on a high-speed chase to the U.S. Capitol, where she opened fire, police said. She was shot," NBC reported on its website.

Update 4:21 p.m.:

U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5, took to her Facebook page to let folks know she was safe. She wrote:

"Lockdown has been lifted. Staff and I are safe. Thank you Capitol Police for all you do to keep us safe today and every day."

Rosa DeLauro, D-3, tweeted: "Thanks to all the great Capitol Police officers keeping us us safe."

Connecticut's remaining delegates — Joe Courtney, D-2, and John Larson, D-1 — have not yet reported on their status.

Commenting on the safety of those other delegates, a staffer at Murphy's Connecticut office told Patch, "As far as I know everyone is safe."

Original article:

At least two of Connecticut's Congressional delegates have taken to Twitter to report that they are safe following a shooting outside the Capitol.

"Staff is safe in my Cannon office. Capitol itself locked down. Thank you Capitol Police," U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, tweeted at 2:48 p.m.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy also reported being safe. "Was just off the Senate floor when we were locked down. Thank you to the Capitol Police for your vigilance and keeping us safe every day," he tweeted.

"Everyone on my staff is safe," U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (also a Greenwich Democrat) said in a 3:39 p.m. tweet. "Thanks to Capitol Police and law enforcement who acted swiftly and bravely to protect all in danger."

Connecticut's remaining delegates — U.S. Reps. Elizabeth Esty, D-5, Rosa DeLauro, D-3, Joe Courtney, D-2, and John Larson, D-1 — have not yet reported on their status.

The Capitol building was placed on lockdown just before 2:30 p.m., according to the Associated Press.

The AP reports one Capitol police officer has been injured, and CNN reported the officer was air-lifted to the hospital. There were reports of multiple gunshots near the Senate Hart Office Building, and people were seen running, CNN reported.