SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- Family and friends of Ashli Babbitt, the San Diego woman shot and killed inside the U.S. capitol, are trying to wrap their heads around how things escalated to that point.
Babbitt’s grandfather, Tony Mazziott, said she grew up in Lakeside and went to El Capital High School before enlisting in the military.
He said Babbitt was his only granddaughter and lived with him for several years when she was a child.
“When she was growing up, we kind of took care of her, and then when we she got old enough she took care of me,” said Mazziott. “She served time in the military. She’s passionate about everything, particularly Donald Trump for some reason.”
He said when President Trump was first running in the election, she became an avid supporter.
“She went bananas over him,” he said.
While Mazziott said his political views are neutral, and he didn’t always agree with Babbitt, he appreciated her passion.
“We supported her passion, what can I say,” he said. “Didn’t argue with her because you’d never win.”
Babbitt took off for Washington D.C. earlier in the week.
“My son works for her in her business and he came over and said Ashli was in D.C., it was spur in the moment I guess,” he explained.
U.S. Capitol Police said Babbitt was part of the group of people that stormed the Capitol on Wednesday.
Police said she was shot by a Capitol Police employee as people were forcing their way toward the House Chamber, where members of congress were sheltering in place.
She was taken to the hospital where she later died.
