A gunman opened fire at U.S. Congressmen and others who were gathered at a practice this morning for the Congressional Baseball Game. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and at least four others were reportedly injured. The gunman, who has been identified by unnamed sources as James T. Hodgkinson III, was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries:
A gunman unleashed a barrage of gunfire Wednesday at a park in Alexandria, Va., as Republican members of Congress held a morning baseball practice, wounding at least five people, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (La.).
The suspected gunman is James T. Hodgkinson III, 66, from Illinois, according to multiple law enforcement sources. President Trump announced that the gunman, who was wounded in a shootout with officers, has died at an area hospital.
The wounded also included two Capitol Police officers and a congressional aide, according to one law enforcement official and witness accounts.
Congressman Scalise was shot in the hip and is in stable condition.
Hodgkinson's motive may have already been identified by the media:
A Facebook page belonging to a person with the same name includes pictures of Democratic presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, and rhetoric against President Trump, including a post that reads: "Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It's Time to Destroy Trump & Co."
Charles Orear, 50, a restaurant manager from St. Louis, said in an interview Wednesday that he became friendly with Hodgkinson during their work together in Iowa on Sanders's campaign. Orear said Hodgkinson was a passionate progressive and showed no signs of violence or malice toward others.
Also at LA Times, Reuters, The Atlantic, The Hill, and CNN.
(Score: 2, Funny) by realDonaldTrump on Wednesday June 14 2017, @05:45PM (2 children)
What that man wrote about me is disgraceful. Totally untrue. It's the message of hate the FAKE MSM has been working so hard to spread. Trying to stop me from making America great again. Folks, if I would have relied on the Fake News of CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, Washington Post or @nytimes, I would have had ZERO chance of winning the White House. What Charles wrote is what they've been writing. Shameful lies! But today is my birthday and it's a time to celebrate. At the White House we have a beautiful chocolate cake.The most beautiful chocolate cake that you have ever seen. And I'm enjoying it a lot. And if you want to celebrate you can shoot, but shoot in the air so it doesn't hurt anyone. Straight up in the air. Not at Congressmen. Not at Republican Congressmen, I mean. U.S.A.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 14 2017, @06:11PM (1 child)
This is your moment, @realDonaldTrump. Shoot from the hip.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 15 2017, @09:38PM
There. FTFY.