According to the Washington Post, we now have a step-by-step of the events that led to the GOP shooting earlier this week. The bird's eye view shows that the shooter entered near the 3rd base area. The shooter, James Hodgkinson, then opened fire, aiming at Mississippi Rep. Trent Kelly. Kelly was playing 3rd base at the time, so it appears that the Shooting was pre-meditated, experts say.
Kelly then hit Hodgkinson hit Rep. Steve Scalise, who was playing 2nd base at the game. It is unclear if the shooter was intending to hit Scalise, sources say that the 2nd baseman was hit by stray bullets.
Hodgkinson was using an AR-15 assault rifle and handgun reports the Washington Post.
Others wounded in the shooting
Others were hit and wounded as well. Among them was Mike Mika of Tyson Foods, and Zack Barth, a staffer for Texas Rep. Roger Williams. Mika was wounded and rushed to the area hospital where he underwent surgery. He is reported to be in critical condition. Zach, when hit, ran into the dugout area where he and others waited for the ordeal to end
Senator Rand Paul was reported to be hiding behind a tree close to the field. Two officers were reported to be in charge of Scalise’s security detail. The two officers, David Bailey and Crystal Griner, were reported to be in the dugout area next to first base.
@washingtonpost breaks down shooting at a Republican baseball practice in Alexandria step-by-step.https://t.co/3dIQnNeSnQ pic.twitter.com/qnfvuslY8n
— Ledbetter Freelance (@LanceLedbetter) June 15, 2017
Witnesses say the event was strange
According to the Daily Caller, Sen. Jeff Flake said in an interview that the gunman never said a word.
According to Sen. Flake, there was a lot of yelling and screaming in panic, and it made it hard to see what was going on. Reports say the event was strange because the attack was sudden and unprovoked. Usually, in a shooting of this magnitude, there was a provocation. However, giving that this shooting was random, It is hard to distinguish an M.O.
Jeff Flake also said he kept asking people "are you friendly?" Friendly is a military term used to describe those on the same side and you. Hence, the term coined "friendly fire" is used when one is accidentally hit by a bullet from one's own side. Flake reported that the gunman was using his teams' dugout as a cover.
The gunman
The gunman, Trent Kelly, was taken out by police in a dramatic shootout shortly after the shooting began. Kelly was pronounced dead after the gun battle took his life. He was rushed to the local hospital where the time of death was made official.
What are your thoughts on this heinous event? Leave a comment in the comment section below, and feel free to share this report on your social media pages. Let us know your thoughts.
