Anti-gun Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, responding to Wednesday morning’s shooting incident in Alexandria that left Congressman Steve Scalise and others wounded, told reporters that “there are too many guns on the street.”
He repeated, until challenged by one reporter, that “we lose 93 million” Americans every day, but finally amended that to “93 Americans.”
Scalise is the House Majority Whip. The shooting is being covered minute-by-minute by Fox News and other news agencies.
The gunman has been identified by NBC News and other agencies as James Hodgkinson, an Illinois resident. There are reports that he apparently inquired whether Republicans or Democrats were practicing on the baseball field in preparation for a charity baseball game Thursday between politicians on both sides of the aisle.
A Facebook Page belonging to a James Hodgkinson in Illinois suggests he is a Bernie Sanders supporter. The Facebook page has an image of Sanders and this passage: “Democratic Socialism explained in 3 words: We The People.” That page has erupted with hundreds of comments from people vilifying the shooting and apparent shooter. That Facebook page has been taken down.
Scalise was reportedly wounded in the left hip and authorities at a press conference say five people were transported to area hospitals for treatment. Two of those people are Capitol Police officers who provide security to Scalise, a ranking Republican in the House.
The FBI has taken over the investigation, and they are being assisted by local authorities. Police were on the scene within three minutes and several officers did engage the gunman.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was quoted by Fox News as observing that “a massacre could have unfolded” because the gunman was reportedly armed with a semiautomatic rifle and pistol.
NBC also reported that the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is running traces on two firearms, a rifle and handgun.
Scalise was out of surgery and doing well, according to various reports.
