Suspect in Capitol car attack suffered delusions, suicidal thoughts: report

The suspect in the Capitol car attack on Friday suffered mental health issues including delusions and suicidal thoughts, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. 

The suspect, 25-year-old Noah Green, allegedly drove a car into the barrier surrounding the Capitol, hitting two Capitol Police officers. One of the officers, William “Billy” Evans, died from the wounds he sustained during the attack shortly afterward. 

Green allegedly got out of the vehicle with a knife and “lunged” at law enforcement officers, prompting officers to fatally shoot him. 

A U.S. official told the wire service that the investigation is focusing on Green’s mental health and that he has had suicidal thoughts, delusions and paranoia.

Investigators believe that the attack was an isolated incident from a young man who was mentally unwell, according to the AP. 

Facebook posts from Green, which have since been removed by the platform, suggest that Green could have struggled with mental health. 

In one post Green described “afflictions.” 

“To be honest these past few years have been tough, and these past few months have been tougher,” Green said in March. “I have been tried with some of the biggest, unimaginable tests in my life. I am currently now unemployed after I left my job partly due to afflictions, but ultimately, in search of a spiritual journey.”

Green also promoted speeches on Facebook of Louis Farrakhan, the head of the Nation of Islam. 

The Southern Poverty Law Center identified the Nation of Islam as a hate group for their anti-Semitic and homophobic comments.

The Hill has reached out to Capitol Police and the Maryland Police Department for comment.