Gunman dead after attacking US congressmen at Virginia baseball field
A gunman who sprayed bullets at Republican lawmakers during baseball practice in a Washington DC suburb has died, US President Donald Trump said.
The attacker, identified as Illinois native James T Hodgkinson, was taken to hospital and died from his injuries.
House of Representatives Majority Whip Steve Scalise was one of five injured in the early morning attack at a park in Alexandria, Virginia.
Two police officers suffered non-life threatening wounds as they fired back.
“We may have our differences, but we do well in times like these to remember that everyone who serves in our nation’s capital is here because, above all, they love our country,” Mr Trump said, describing the attack as a “very, very brutal assault”.
What we know about suspect
- James T Hodgkinson is a 66-year-old man from Belleville, Illinois, a small city just across the Mississippi River from the city of St Louis, Missouri
- Mr Hodgkinson’s wife told ABC News he moved to Virginia two months ago
- His Facebook account shows anti-Republican and anti-Trump rhetoric
- He was a volunteer on the campaign of former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
He also called Mr Scalise, who is recovering from surgery, a “very good friend”, a “patriot and a fighter”.
The lawmakers were practising for the annual congressional ballgame that organisers vowed would go ahead as planned on Thursday at Nationals Park, home of Major League Baseball team the Washington Nationals.
Alexandria police said the FBI was taking over the investigation into the shooting, which began shortly after 07:00 (11:00 GMT) on Wednesday morning at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park.
‘Sitting ducks’
As well as Mr Scalise, two police officers, Krystal Griner and David Bailey, Tyson Food lobbyist Matt Mika and Zack Barth, a congressional aide for Texas lawmaker Roger Williams, were injured.
Mr Scalise, who was shot in the hip, was said to be “doing well” after surgery.
Senator Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, said someone at the baseball field had used a belt as a tourniquet on Mr Scalise, who is the number three House Republican.
South Carolina congressman Jeff Duncan said the suspect had asked him whether Republicans or Democrats were practising before shots rang out.
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul told Fox News: “I do believe without the Capitol Hill police it would have been a massacre.
“We had no defence at all. The field was basically a killing field.”
He said they were lucky that Mr Scalise was present because he has a security detail owing to his congressional seniority.
Mo Brooks, an Alabama Republican, told CNN he was on third base during the baseball game when he saw Mr Scalise, who was on second base, shot.
He said Mr Scalise had a bullet hole in his leg, but was saying: “I’m OK, I’m OK.”
Mr Brooks said everyone on the field scattered as 50 to 100 shots were fired.
He said a gunfight had ensued between the shooter and the congressmen’s police security detail, who were armed with pistols.
Mr Brooks, who took refuge behind a batting cage, said the gunman was armed with a rifle and was “blasting away” from behind the dugout, using it for protection.
Mr Brooks said congressmen Chuck Fleischmann, of Tennessee, Ron DeSantis, of Florida, and Jeff Duncan, of South Carolina, were among 15-25 lawmakers at the game.
Asked by a CNN host if the attack was deliberate, Mr Brooks replied: “Well, it sure as heck wasn’t an accident! BBC News
