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Gunman shoots congressman, police. Trump announces assailant has died, calls incident ‘a very very brutal assault’ – VIDEO +UPDATE

A gunman opened fire at a baseball practice involving U.S. politicians in Alexandria, Virginia, on Wednesday, wounding several people including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana. He is in a critical state in at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

UPDATE: Donald Trump visited the hospital were Scalise is being treated.

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UPDATE: Medics say Scalise suffered fractured bones, internal organ injuries and severe bleeding after being shot in the left hip.

UPDATE: MedStar Washington Hospital Center announced Scalise is in critical condition.

UPDATE: The suspect who authorities say fired on Republican lawmakers as they played baseball on Wednesday raged against Republican U.S. President Donald Trump on social media and idolized Bernie Sanders, who he viewed as the only politician who understood the working class.

A senior U.S. official named the gunman as James T. Hodgkinson from the St. Louis suburb of Belleville, Illinois. State records showed he was a 66-year-old home inspector. He died from injuries sustained in a shoot-out with Capitol Hill police who were at the scene in Alexandria, Virginia.

He is believed by investigators to have been a person “of strong views,” the U.S. official said, without elaborating.

The Belleville News-Democrat, a local newspaper, posted a photograph of Hodgkinson protesting outside a post office there in 2012, wearing sunglasses and a goatee and holding a homemade placard that read “TAX the Rich.”

Hodgkinson was a member of many 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,” a search of what appeared to be his profile showed.

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“Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It’s Time to Destroy Trump & Co.” Hodgkinson wrote in a March 22 post on Facebook. His profile picture was a U.S. flag overlaid with the slogan, “Democratic Socialism explained in 3 words: ‘We the People.’ Since 1776.”

His timeline was headed by a cover photo of Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont who ran unsuccessfully to be the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate last year.

UPDATE: After reports of the gunman being a Berie Sanders supporter, the Vermont Senator released a statement saying he is ‘sickened by this despicable act.’

“Let me be as clear as I can be. Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms. Real change can only come about through nonviolent action, and anything else runs against our most deeply held American values,” Bernie Sanders said.

UPDATE: U.S. President Donald Trump said it was ‘a very very brutal assault.’

“As you all know, shortly after 7 AM this morning a gunman opened fire on members of Congress and their staff as they were practicing for tomorrow’s annual Charity Baseball Game. Authorities are continuing to investigate the crime and the assailant has now died from his injuries. The FBI is leading the investigation and will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available,” Trump said.

The US President added that Scalise was shot and badly wounded and is now in stable condition at the hospital, along with two police officers. At least two others were also wounded, Trump said.

UPDATE: President Donald Trump announced the gunman who opened fire has died from his injuries.

UPDATE: U.S. President Donald Trump will deliver a statement at 11:30 AM ET (1530 GMT) on the shooting of senior Republican lawmaker Steve Scalise on Wednesday, the White House said.

In the wake of the shooting, Trump has spoken with Chief of Capitol Police Matthew Verderosa, Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Scalise’s wife, the White House said.

UPDATE: The shooter was identified by law enforcement as 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson of Belleville, Illinois, the Washington Post reports..

UPDATE: FBI will take over the investigation of the shooting, according to Alexandria Police chief.

UPDATE: Donald Trump cancelled his afternoon event, according to White House reporters. Trump had scheduled a speech at the Labour Department but cancelled it after the shooting.

UPDATE: Melania Trump praises first responders in tweet.

UPDATE: Scalise is in stable condition, currently undergoing surgery, a statement from the House Majority Whip’s office shows.

“This morning, at a practice for the Congressional Baseball Game, Whip Scalise was shot in the hip. He was transported to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where he is currently undergoing surgery. He is in stable condition. Prior to entering surgery, the Whip was in good spirits and spoke to his wife by phone. He is grateful for the brave actions of U.S. Capitol Police, first responders, and colleagues. We ask that you keep the Whip and others harmed in this incident in your thoughts and prayers,” the statement reads.

UPDATE: President Donald Trump tweeted that Scalise is “a true friend and patriot”.

UPDATE: The gunman was apprehended and taken to the hospital.

The shooting began at 7:15 a.m. and lasted about 10 minutes. The shooter appeared to be a white male, “a little bit on the chubby side,” Representative Mo Brooks told CNN, adding that he only saw the man for a second.

Brooks said he heard 50 to 100 rounds from the gunman’s rifle before the security detail returned fire. He said there were 20 to 25 members of team at the practice in Alexandria, Virginia, when the gunfire erupted

“There must have been 50 to 100 shots fired,” he told CNN. “I hear Steve Scalise over near second base scream. He was shot,” said Brooks, adding he helped apply a tourniquet with his belt to a congressional staffer who was shot in the leg.

UPDATE: President Donald Trump was made aware of the situation and sends his thoughts and prayers to the family, said Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

UPDATE: Police in the upmarket Washington DC suburb of Alexandria said they were investigating a “multiple shooting” and a suspect was in custody.

Scalise, 51, is the House majority whip. He has represented Louisiana’s First Congressional District since 2008 and chairs the House Republican Study Committee. He is married with two children. Scalise’s district includes New Orleans. Scalise is the first member of Congress to be shot since former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot in January 2011.

In 2017, Scalise supported President Trump’s executive order that imposed a temporary ban on entry to the U.S. to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries.

Alexa Stewart

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