ALEXANDRIA,VA-Dozens of gunshots rang out from behind a dugout at a DC area baseball field at 7 am this morning, hitting Congressman Steve Scalise, of Louisiana and injuring Congressman Roger Williams, of Texas.
A female Capitol Police Department officer was shot in the foot, according to Rand Paul.
Williams was injured while running and diving into the dugout, seeking cover, injuring his leg.
Three others were shot, but not identified at this point. Witnesses reported a man asking if the softball players were Republicans or Democrats and returned a short time later, firing what they said were between 50 to 100 shots.
Congressman Brad Wenstrup, an Ohio Republican, said he felt like he was in Iraq, but with a weapon. He said Scalise was on second base and dropped to the ground after being shot.
Congressman Jeff Flake of Arizona said people were running in every direction after the shooting started.
“He had a lot ammo,” Flake said, adding the gunman was sheltered behind the third base dugout, shooting onto the field.
“We were doing practice and a number of people were batting and fielding and all the sudden we heard a very loud shot, the gunman was by the third base dugout and had a clear view of the field,” Flake said.
Flake said one staffer was shot in the leg and was administered first aid in the dugout.
Scalise dragged himself from second base further into the field to put distance between himself and the gunman, then was motionless according to witnesses.
Once capitol police officer subdued the shooter, Hart and others ran out to administer first aid, including Wenstrup, an U.S. Army Iraq war veteran and doctor. Alexandria police also responded quickly to the scene.
“He was firing rounds all over the place,” Wenstrup said. He said the shooter, who was wearing jeans and blue shirt was moving from position to position shooting into the field with his rifle, eventually switching to a handgun.
Two Capitol Police Department officers were on hand as part of Steve Scalise’s security detail.
“If Scalise wasn’t here, the Capitol Police officers would not have been there,” Wenstrup said. “It would have been a lot worse.”
The Republican congressmen were practicing for a Thursday charity softball game against Democrats, raising $650,000 for underprivileged kids in DC.
25 members of congress were on the field at the time. Scalise suffered a serious injury, but is now in stable condition.
Chief Michael Brown of the Alexandria Police Department said within three minutes his department had three officers on scene to engage the shooter. Brown said five individuals were transported to the hospital.
Matt Vederosa, Chief of the Capitol Police Department said two officers were on scene for a security detail and were able to immediately engage the suspect and said it is too early to release any further details.
The shooter was apprehended and the extent of his injuries are unknown.
Hart said an African American Capitol Police Department officer was shot in the leg, but continued to engage the shooter.
“The Vice President and I are aware of the shooting incident in Virginia and are monitoring developments closely,” President Donald J. Trump said. “We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the members of Congress, their staffs, Capitol Police, first responders, and all others affected.”
The news also doesn’t sit well with voters in the Republican stronghold of Ocean County where an ongoing confrontation exists between Lakewood’s growing Orthodox Jewish population and the surrounding gentile townships of Jackson, Brick, Toms River and Howell where Rullo is showing strong against Guadagno and the other Republican establishment candidates.
