INDIANAPOLIS (NewsNation Now) — Law enforcement identified the suspect who rammed two U.S. Capitol Police officers with a car on Friday, April 2 at a security checkpoint barricade as 25-year-old Noah Green.
Green, 25, was fatally wounded when at least one officer opened fire as he reportedly exited the vehicle wielding a knife and lunging at police. He was transported to the hospital where he later died.
Killed in the attack was 18-year U.S. Capitol Police force veteran William “Billy” Evans. A second officer was wounded, but is in stable condition and their injuries are not believed to be life threatening.
NewsNation affiliate WXIN in Indianapolis uncovered that Green had filed a name change petition in Marion County Court in Dec. 2020. The records indicate Green sought to change his name from Noah Ricardo Green to Noah Zaeem Muhammad.
The hearing from that petition was scheduled for this Tuesday, but Green did not show up for that hearing. Because he missed the hearing and didn’t file for an extension, the court dismissed the matter and closed the case.
The address listed on the court documents is an Indianapolis address. Other records show Green also had ties to Virginia.
NewsNation affiliate WAVY reports officials from Christopher Newport University confirmed Green graduated from the university with a degree in finance in 2019, and had played football for the school.
Jim Hanchett, CNU chief communications officer said Green played football for the school for the fall 2017 and 2018 seasons. His bio on the 2018 football roster says Green’s hometown is Covington, Virginia. He went to Alleghany High School.
Investigators are increasingly focused on Green’s mental health as they work to identify any motive for the attack, a U.S. official briefed on the investigation told the Associated Press. Investigators have learned the suspect had been suffering from delusions, paranoia and suicidal thoughts, according to the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing matter and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.
In online posts since removed, Green described being under government thought control and said he was being watched. He described himself as a follower of the Nation of Islam and its longtime leader, Louis Farrakhan, and spoke of going through a difficult time when he leaned on his faith. Some of the messages were captured by the group SITE, which tracks online activity.
Authorities said Friday Green did not appear to have been on police radar.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report