Rep. Steve Scalise and four others were hospitalized for treatment of injuries after a rifle-wielding gunman opened fire at a congressional baseball practice
WASHINGTON — House Republican Steve Scalise and four other people were hospitalized Wednesday after a gunman opened fire at a congressional baseball practice just outside of Washington.
Authorities say the congressman, two Capitol Police officers, Matt Mika — a former congressional staffer who now works as a lobbyist for Tyson Foods — and Zachary Barth, a staffer for Rep. Roger Williams, were among the victims wounded in the shooting.
The police officers injured in the shooting were identified as David Bailey and Krystal Griner. Their conditions are unclear.
Scalise was shot in the hip and is in surgery, his office said in a statement. The congressman spoke to his wife on the phone and was in good spirits before going into surgery at Washington MedStar.
According to CBS News correspondent Kris Van Cleave, Mika was attending the practice as a volunteer coach and was being treated for multiple gunshot wounds. He arrived at George Washington University Hospital and is undergoing surgery. He is said to have sustained the most serious injuries.
Arkansas-based Tyson Foods Inc. says the company is awaiting word on Mika’s condition. Spokesman Gary Mickelson says Mika is director of government relations for Tyson’s Washington, D. C., office and that he’s worked for the company for more than six years. The company says it’s «deeply concerned» about Mika and his family.
Authorities have identified the shooter as James T. Hodgkinson, 66, of Belleville, Illinois. President Trump announced Hodgkinson died from his injuries.
Police say Hodgkinson was carrying an assault weapon similar to an M-4 rifle and a handgun in the attack.
The FBI has taken control of the investigation.
