The suspected gunman of Wednesday’s incident that injured House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and others has “now died from his injuries,” President Donald Trump said during an announcement at the White House.
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Scalise and others were shot while at an early morning congressional baseball game practice in Alexandria, Virginia, on Wednesday in what is being reported as a “deliberate attack.”
The suspected shooter had been identified as 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson, from Illinois.
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“The field was basically a killing field,” Sen. Rand Paul told CNN during an interview Wednesday morning, adding that he “heard some say it was politically motivated.”
It was first reported that Scalise and two Capitol Hill police agents were shot, and that “at least one of them was wounded.” Rep. Mo Brooks spoke to CNN, and he said he used his belt as a tourniquet for one of the victims.
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The Alexandria Police Department said five people were transported to local hospitals, “including suspect.”
“We will not ID victims or suspect right now,” the police department said in its tweet.
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Scalise’s office put out a statement Wednesday following the incident.
“This morning, at a practice for the Congressional Baseball Game, Whip Scalise was shot in the hip,” his office said. “He was transported to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where is currently undergoing surgery. He is in stable condition.”
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It has since been reported that Scalise is out of surgery and “doing well,” according to NBC News.
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During a press conference shortly following the incident, Alexandria Chief of Police Michael Brown said the department responded Wednesday morning and returned fire at the scene.
Capitol Police Chief Matthew Verderosa said there were officers on the scene who responded immediately and engaged the suspect.
At the time of the first press conference, the Alexandria Police Department had already tweeted that the suspect is in custody and “not a threat.”
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“I saw him for a second or two,” Brooks said, saying the shooter appeared to be a white male and was behind the third base dugout.
“The gun was semiautomatic,” the representative told CNN. “It continued to fire at different people. You can imagine, all the people on the field scatter.”
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Alexandria Police tweeted earlier Wednesday that they were responding to a “multiple shooting” at the 400 block of East Monroe Street.
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Trump tweeted earlier on Wednesday that “Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a true friend and patriot, was badly injured but will fully recover. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.”
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