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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) by Phoenix666 on Thursday June 15 2017, @01:17PM (4 children)
Russia with all their human rights issues? Really? Is that something Americans can harp on anymore? They rather surrendered that good guy stuff two decades ago when they decided to go all butch and start torturing people. For me, that pretty much abnegates any and all other claim to any moral high ground at all, but for giggles let's also throw out there a total police state surveillance system, detaining people indefinitely without charges or due legal process, assassinating American citizens with drones, and having the highest members of the federal government openly and brazenly subverting the law.
Against all that, can anybody really throw stones at Russia?
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Soylentbob on Thursday June 15 2017, @01:49PM (3 children)
I have some Russian colleagues, and they are often slightly amused when I talk to them about the issues I see with human rights here in Germany... I think it's all grey, but some grey is slightly darker than the other, and while I consider Putin an accomplished politician, I'm still quite happy not to live in Russia.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday June 15 2017, @01:58PM (2 children)
Well sure. It's very cold and the life expectancy for men is 45 years. And they write their "R"'s backwards. On the other hand, it's acceptable to have two vodkas at lunch and the women are beautiful and the popular culture dark enough to warm the cockles of a hipster's heart.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by DECbot on Thursday June 15 2017, @05:25PM (1 child)
So, you're telling me I get all of that in addition to removing 30 of the most painful years of my life? Where's the signup sheet or do I have to do the NSA/Snowden thing first?
cats~$ sudo chown -R us /home/base
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday June 15 2017, @09:04PM
It's not the years in your life, but the life in your years, tovarich. How much heroism you practice in between is purely optional.
Washington DC delenda est.