The woman who was shot dead near the White House was suffering from postpartum depression

I'm sure you all heard the news of the 34 year old dental hygienist woman who was shot dead yesterday afternoon by police after she rammed her car against a White House barrier with her young daughter in the car and led police on a chase. It's been revealed that Miriam Carey was suffering from postpartum depression after giving birth last year.

The revelation by Miriam Carey's family is the first hint at what could have caused the dental hygienist to drive her Infiniti luxury sedan 270 miles from her home in suburban Stamford to Washington, DC - where her rampage put the nation's capital on lock-down Thursday. Carey's daughter Erica, who was in the back seat, was not injured, despite the Secret Service and U.S. Capitol police firing up to 15 shots into her car. Little Erica was rescued from the bullet-riddled car after her mother was shot dead. She is currently in the custody of child services workers.

Miriam's mother Idella Carey told ABC News that her daughter Miriam 'had postpartum depression after having the baby' in August 2012.

'A few months later, she got sick. She was depressed. ... She was hospitalized,' Mrs Carey added.
A former employer said Miriam sustained a head injury when she fell down stair last year. When she returned to work after recovering, she was pregnant. She was not married to the father but 'seemed happy' about the pregnancy, the former boss said.

Authorities said the single-mother had a 'history of mental illness' but did not elaborate.

Carey's former boss of eight years, Dr Steven Oken, said in the eight years he knew Miriam she was 'always happy' - and not interested in politics. Neighbors told the New York Daily News she was 'a nice young lady, stable.'

That portrait contrasts starkly with the woman who sent Congressmen diving for coatrooms in the Capitol Building and tourists fleeing in terror after she tried to force her way into an entrance to the White House about 2pm on Tuesday.

Despite the sensitive location, Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine said: 'This appears to be an isolated incident.There is no nexus to terrorism.'