Washington: The man who opened fire on Republican lawmakers at a baseball practice early Wednesday, wounding a top congressman and three others, has died of injuries sustained in a shootout with police, President Donald Trump said.
“Many lives would have been lost, if not for the heroic actions of the two Capitol police officers who took down the gunman despite sustaining gunshot wounds during a very, very brutal assault,” Trump said in remarks to the nation.
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana was shot at a congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, officials said. His wounds were not believed to be life-threatening.
Alexandria police said a suspect in the shooting was in custody. A congressional aide said Scalise was in stable condition at George Washington University Hospital.
Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., said several other people also were hit, including two law enforcement officers. Brooks said that Scalise, 51, was down on the ground with what Brooks described as “a hip wound.”
Rep. Mike Bishop, R-Mich, said Scalise was standing on second base when he was shot. “I was looking right at him,” Bishop told Detroit radio station WWJ. “He was a sitting duck.”
Brooks said the Scalise “crawled into the outfield, leaving a trail of blood.” “We started giving him the liquids, I put pressure on his wound in his hip,” Brooks said. Scalise is the No. 3 House Republican leader. He was first elected to the House in 2008 after serving in the state legislature.
Rep. Jeff Duncan said in a statement that he was at the practice and “saw the shooter.” “Please pray for my colleagues,” Duncan said.
House Speaker Paul Ryan’s office said Scalise’s wounds were not believed to be life-threatening and that a member of the security detail was also shot.
AFP