Addressing the nation from the White House, Donald Trump said a shooter who opened fire on a congressional baseball practice early Wednesday morning injuring a handful of people including Rep. Steve Scalise had died from his wounds.
"As you all know," Trump said, "shortly after 7 AM this morning a gunman opened fire when members of Congress and their staffs, as they were practicing for tomorrow's annual charity baseball game. Authorities are continuing to investigate the crime, and the assailant has now died from his injuries."
The man has been identified as James T. Hodgkinson, 66, of Belleville, Illinois. Hodgkinson appears to have had liberal political views, writes the Washington Post.
A Facebook page belonging to a person with the same name includes pictures of Democratic presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, and rhetoric against President Trump, including a post that reads: “Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It’s Time to Destroy Trump & Co.”
Charles Orear, 50, a restaurant manager from St. Louis, said in an interview Wednesday that he became friendly with Hodgkinson during their work together in Iowa on Sanders’s campaign.
Orear said Hodgkinson was a passionate progressive and showed no signs of violence or malice toward others.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Orear said when told by phone about the shooting.
Hodgkinson was, however, arrested in 2006 for assaulting his girlfriend, according to NBC News investigative reporter Tom Winter.
Sanders' spokesperson, Michael Briggs, responded to reports of the suspect’s political leanings with a message of support for the victims.
“Our prayers go out for a full recovery of Rep. Scalise, the congressional aides and police officers who were injured. We’ve got to stop the violence.”
In a longer statement, Sanders said he was “sickened by this despicable act.”