Date: 06-14-2017
Shooter dead, six wounded in attack on GOP group playing baseball
U.S. Senator Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, was present at the scene of a multiple shooting in Alexandria, Virginia Wednesday morning.
Paul told MSNBC’s Morning Joe that he was in the batting cage when the incident occurred.
“I was in a lucky spot, and I hope everybody does OK,” he said.
The incident occurred at a baseball diamond in Alexandria, Virginia where Republican members of Congress and their staffs were practicing for the annual Congressional baseball game scheduled for Thursday.
An assailant, who is in custody, according to CBS News, reportedly fired a number of shots from a rifle and pistol.
A Louisiana congressman, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, a Republican, was wounded in the hip by the gunman. In addition, two members of the Capital Police were also wounded, as well as at least one congressional aide. The gunman was also wounded. Six people were shot. It reportedly took about 10 minutes before the shooter was subdued. The shooter reportedly asked a congressman on the scene if the group practicing was Democrats or Republicans before he began firing.
Persons on the scene said a number of members of Congress were at the practice. Two were senators with Rand Paul being one of them.
Democrats were having their own early-morning practice at a different facility at another location.
By Thomas Novelly and Darcy Costello
The Courier-Journal
Here’s the story:
An assailant, who is in custody, according to CBS News, reportedly fired a number of shots from a rifle and pistol.
A Louisiana congressman, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, a Republican, was wounded in the hip by the gunman. In addition, two members of the Capital Police were also wounded, as well as at least one congressional aide. The gunman was also wounded. Six people were shot. It reportedly took about 10 minutes before the shooter was subdued. The shooter reportedly asked a congressman on the scene if the group practicing was Democrats or Republicans before he began firing.
Persons on the scene said a number of members of Congress were at the practice. Two were senators with Rand Paul being one of them.
Democrats were having their own early-morning practice at a different facility at another location.
U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, the third-ranking Republican in House leadership, was shot and injured during a baseball practice early Wednesday, and two Capitol Hill police officers and at least two others were also shot, according to congressmen who were at the scene.
The shooter, identified as James T. Hodgkinson, died in the hospital. According to the Belleville News-Democrat, he belonged to number of anti-Republican groups, including one called “Terminate the Republican Party.”
