Congressman Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) and several aides have been shot by a gunman who opened fire at a practice for a congressional charity baseball game in Alexandria, Virginia.
The gunman was shot by U.S. Capitol Police, and taken to the hospital, according to a Fox News report. Rep. Scalise was wounded in the hip and is expected to recover.
According to the report the gunman fired 50-100 shots from his position behind the dugout. As the House majority whip, Scalise’s security detail was present at the time of the attack.
“Without the Capitol Hill police it would have been a massacre,” Sen. Rand Paul told Fox News, who described the scene as “sort of a killing field.”
Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake told CNN that two members of Scalise’s security detail were wounded, and another man was shot in the chest.
The shooting took place at about 7:15 a.m. on Wednesday. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, told Fox that just before the shooting, as he was walking to his car, a man approached him to ask if it was Republicans or Democrats practicing.
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-S.C.) told CNN that the shooter appeared to be a white male, but added that “I saw him for a second or two.”
President Donald Trump issued the following statement:
“The Vice President and I are aware of the shooting incident in Virginia and are monitoring developments closely,” President Donald Trump said in a statement. “We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the members of Congress, their staffs, Capitol Police, first responders, and all others affected.”
UPDATE: The Washington Post reports that the shooter has been identified as 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson of Belleville, Ill.:
Hodgkinson, 66, owns a home inspection business, but his home inspection license expired in November 2016 and was not renewed, state records show. Hodgkinson was charged in April 2006 with battery and aiding damage to a motor vehicle, according to online records in St. Clair County, Ill. The charges were dismissed, records show.
He has posted comments critical of President Trump on his Facebook account and Twitter page.
And today we celebrate...