James T. Hodgkinson is 66-year-old from Illinois has been identified by multiple outlets, citing law-enforcement sources, as the gunman who attacked a congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia. Representative Steve Scalise Shot at a Baseball Practice. The House Majority Whip was among those hit when a gunman opened fire in suburban Washington, D.C. Hodgkinson was shot by police and taken to the hospital. President Donald Trump announced in a televised statement that Hodgksinson has died.James T. Hodgkinson has been identified as the shooter who opened fire on Republican members of Congress Wednesday morning at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia, the Washington Post reports. Hodgkinson, 66, was from Belleville, Illinois, the newspaper reports. A motive for the shooting is not yet known, but Hodgkinson’s Facebook page shows someone who had a high interest in politics, who supported Bernie Sanders during the presidential election and expressed anger with President Donald Trump and Republican Congressmen.
The gunman was shot by two Capitol Hill Police officers who were at the scene as a security detail for Rep. Steve Scalise, the House Majority Whip, who was among those shot. The two police officers were also wounded, along with a staffer for Rep. Roger Williams of Texas and a lobbyist. The victims are all expected to survive. Two Congressmen, Rep. Jeff Duncan and Rep. Ron DeSantis, described an encounter with a man who asked them if those practicing were “Republicans or Democrats” before the shooting. DeSantis, when shown a photo of Hodgkinson, confirmed he was the man who approached him, CNBC reports.Alexandria Police Chief Michael Brown said his officers and Capitol Police officers exchanged fire with the gunman. Sources told the CNN it was a “deliberate attack.” The GOP baseball team was practicing at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria when the shooting occurred. The Republican team was preparing to play its annual game against Democratic congressmen at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.
