Congressman shot by ‘anti-trump’ gunman
Five injured as supporter of Senator Bernie Sanders opens fire at congressional baseball practice
ONE of the most senior Republicans in Congress was fighting for his life last night after being shot by a supporter of Bernie Sanders.
Steve Scalise, House of Representatives majority whip, was said to be in a critical condition after undergoing surgery. The FBI is trawling the social media of James Hodgkinson, 66, a supporter of Mr Sanders, to discover why he opened fire on a congressional baseball practice, wounding five people.
Witnesses said Hodgkinson asked bystanders whether Republicans or Democrats were playing on the field just outside Washington, before he drew a weapon and appeared to hunt down elected representatives. They described how he sprayed as many as 100 bullets before being brought to the ground by police officers returning fire.
Donald Trump addressed the nation soon after the shooting to announce that the gunman had died of his inju- ries. “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,” the president said.
It quickly emerged that Hodgkinson, from Belleville, Illinois, had posted anti-trump messages on his social media accounts and campaigned on behalf of Mr Sanders, the Left-wing senator who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination.
He was a member of several anti-republican groups on Facebook including “The road to Hell is paved with Republicans”, “Terminate the Republican Party”, and “Donald Trump is not my President”. He described Mr Trump as a “traitor” in one post, and wrote “it’s time to destroy Trump & Co”.
Others wounded were named as: Matthew Mika, a lobbyist; Zack Barth, an aide to Texas representative Roger Williams; and two police officers, David Bailey and Krystal Griner.
Two congressmen told how the shooting began soon after they were approached by a man asking whether the players at the early morning practice were Republicans or Democrats.
Witnesses said he was armed with a handgun and an assault rifle, possibly an AR-15, and appeared to be singling out elected representatives. They described him firing from behind a chainlink fence with a double-tap technique.
Mo Brooks, a representative from Alabama, said he saw Mr Scalise be shot in the hip and then trying to crawl for cover, leaving a trail of blood.
Mr Sanders, after learning the gunman was apparently a volunteer for his presidential campaign, said he was “sickened by this despicable act”.
Congress said the game, in aid of charities and also featuring a tribute to victims of the Manchester terror attack, would still go ahead. Sir Kim Darroch, the British ambassador, was scheduled to throw the first pitch tonight.