Officials in Charlottesville, Virginia have identified the woman who was killed after 20-year-old James Alex Fields plowed through a crowd with a car on Saturday.
Heather Heyer was a 32-year-old paralegal who lived in Charlottesville; she was crossing the street when Fields rammed into her with his car.
The Daily Caller reports:
Heyer, a 32-year-old paralegal who lived in Charlottesville, was crossing the street when Fields rammed her with his vehicle, according to a press release.
Emergency medical personnel transferred Heyer to University Hospital. Doctors at the hospital declared her dead.
“Charlottesville resident Heather Heyer was struck down by a vehicle while exercising her peaceful First Amendment right to speech,” the city’s press release says. “This senseless act of violence rips a hole in our collective hearts.”
“On behalf of the City of Charlottesville and all of our citizens, we send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of Ms. Heyer,” the Charlottesville press release says.
City officials also expressed condolences to the families of H. Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke M. M. Bates, the two Virginia State Police killed in a helicopter crash on Saturday in Charlottesville.
“These men gave their lives in the line of duty and our gratitude to them cannot be overstated,” city officials said.
— Charlottesville City (@CvilleCityHall) August 13, 2017
A childhood friend of Heyer, Felicia Correa, told the New York Daily News that Heyer’s mother was proud of Heyer.
“She died doing what was right. My heart is broken, but I am forever proud of her,” Correa said.
A GoFundMe campaign was also set up to support Heather Heyer’s family. Prayers for her loved ones.
Verified @gofundme campaign to support Heather Heyer's family: https://t.co/S0XRPmXTep
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) August 13, 2017
Below is footage of the the man plowing through a crowd of people on Saturday:
#BREAKING: I just watched a car plow through dozens of protesters. Extremely heavy injuries #Charlottesville pic.twitter.com/rE8DWUmrfD
— Alex Rubinstein (@RealAlexRubi) August 12, 2017
