U.S. Rep. from Texas: ‘It was scary’
Joe Barton and his 10-year-old son dove for cover when a gunman opened fire at a ball field in Alexandria, Va. yesterday morning. The Texas U.S. Rep., manager of the Republican congressional baseball team, said it was a life-or-death struggle for 10
minutes. Here is Barton’s account as told to the Herald’s Kimberly Atkins:
“I was by the first-base dugout. We just stayed where we were and stayed down.”
Later, at the Capitol building, Barton told reporters more.
“He started shooting. He shot at (Mississippi Rep.) Trent Kelly, our third baseman. He shot at (House Majority Whip) Steve Scalise, our second baseman. He hit Steve Scalise. Scalise’s security detail, the U.S. Capitol Police, immediately began to return fire. And Alexandria police also began to return fire.
I’m the manager of the team.
Several security people were hit. One of my staffers was hit. Scalise was hit ... Luckily no one appeared to be killed.
(The attack lasted) about 10 minutes, 5 to 10 minutes. Dozens if not hundreds of shots fired. It was scary.
Some of us went in the dugout, some of us were on the ground. I got behind the dugout. My son, Jack (10), got under an SUV, and he was very brave. My other son, Brad (46), was in the batting cage and he also was very brave.
The shooter was not on the field and never got on the field. He stayed behind the first base dugout and came around behind home plate and got behind a utility shed, and then darted out in front of the utility shed, and that’s when he got shot.”