On Wednesday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released a statement saying that the gunman who shot Rep. Scalise and four others last week had a note with the names of six legislative members written in bold.
Paper with names of lawmakers
The 66-year old James T. Hodgkinson from Belleville shot and injured Steve Scalise House Majority Whip including two Capitol police officers. The gunman later died after he was shot by the police.
Scalise, who is currently receiving treatment at the MedStar Hospital in Washington has undergone a series of surgeries and is said to be in fair condition.
He is in an extended period of rapid healing and rehabilitation, the hospital said.
According to Timothy Slater, who is the special agent in charge of the investigation by the FBI, a piece of paper with the names of six lawmakers was found on Hodgkinson by investigators. Slater declined to reveal the names of Congress members on the paper. Slater said a thorough review of Hodgkinson’s activity over the web showed a “cursory search” for information about two of those members in the note.
Lived opposite baseball filed for weeks
FBI officials revealed that Hodgkinson was living in a van parked adjacent to the baseball field where the Republican team practiced. He traveled all the way to Washington, D.C.
since March. He approached two congressmen who left the practice early and inquired of them if the practicing team was Republican or Democrat, the officials stated.
The gunman came out of his vehicle with two rifles, a 9 mm handgun and a 7.62 mm caliber SKS rifle. He walked toward the field and released gunshots. Two Capitol Police officers assigned to protect Rep.
Scalise engaged Hodgkinson in a gun duel, according to the Alexandria Police Department.
According to Yahoo News, FBI’s assistant director of the Washington Field Office, Andre Vale, said the investigation revealed that Hodgkinson acted on his own volition and that the shooting was not an act of terrorism.
Items found in his rented unit
FBI agents discovered a laptop computer and about 200 round of ammunition in a self-storage unit Hodgkinson rented in Alexandria. Agents said he visited the rented unit more than 43 times between the months of April and June, around 6 a.m. and 7 a.m.each day.
Hodgkinson had made several posts on his social media accounts denouncing Republicans and posted anti-Republican messages before the act was carried out, Slater said.
