House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was among at least five people who were shot in what appears to have been an attack Wednesday morning at a congressional baseball practice in Virginia.
Fox News is reporting that five people were transported medically to a local hospital, including the gunman after he was shot by U.S. Capitol Police. Scalise was said to be in stable condition.
Two law enforcement officials were among those injured. Rep. Mo Brooks said there was a shootout that ended when the alleged attacker was shot near home plate. Sen. Mike Lee told Fox News that the gunman had been killed.
“Finally the shooter was shot behind home plate as he was circling around to the first base dugout where there were a number of us congressmen and other folks,” Brooks told FMTALK1065. “Our security detail was able to incapacitate him at that point. I don’t know if he [shooter] was dead. He was wounded. I don’t know how many times he was wounded.”
Brooks said he heard Scalise scream and saw him dragging himself toward right field, leaving a trail of blood.
“Behind third base, I see a rifle…I hear Steve Scalise over near 2nd base scream,” Brooks described. “…While all of this is going on, Steve Scalise our whip was lying on the ground near the second base position crawling into right field, leaving a trail of blood.”
Fox News was told by a source that Scalise had been shot in the hip.
CNN is describing the shooting as a “deliberate attack.” Rep. Ron DeSantis, a Republican from Florida, told Fox News he left just before the shooting. While walking to his car, DeSantis said he was asked by a man if it was Republicans or Democrats on the baseball field. Roughly three minutes later, gunfire broke out.
The GOP had been practicing for the Congressional Baseball Game, an annual tradition in which Republican and Democratic members of the Senate and House square off on the diamond. The event has been held since 1909 and is scheduled to take place on June 15 at Nationals Park.
