By now, most people know about the shooting that took place at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia on Wednesday, June 14, 2017, when the Republicans were practicing for a charity game that took place the following day. At least six people were hospitalized after the shooting, and the shooter was killed. No motive for the shooting has been revealed for 66-year-old James Hodgkinson.
Steve Scalise's security
If Congressman Steve Scalise had not been on the baseball field, more people would have been shot and probably killed. That's because the 51-year-old Congressman was the only one who had police protection at the event.
Congressman Scalise remains in critical condition after being shot in his left hip, which caused damage to his internal organs. It is ironic that he was the only one with protection, and he was the one who received the most damage.
Who gets protection?
After this unfortunate tragedy, Congress will probably evaluate and determine if more political leaders need the same type of security that Congressman Scalise has. It was good he had it, and it was good that he was there with his security. The question that needs to be asked is why he had security and the others didn't.
According to the Los Angeles Times, most members of Congress are protected while they are on the grounds of the Capitol, but not all 535 members of Congress get protection in other places.
Representative Steve Scalise is the third-ranking GOP member of the House. He is one of only about ten lawmakers who always has Security Detail away from Capitol grounds.
In the House of Representatives, those who get protection include the speaker of the House, the majority leader, the minority leader and both whips, of which Scalise is one.
None of the other members of the House get protection.
In the Senate, those who have protection include the majority leader, the minority leader, the majority whip, the minority whip, and the president pro tempore. If other members believe they need extra protection because of a threat, they can receive it upon request.
Capitol Police
The United States Capitol Police is responsible for protecting select members of the House and Senate. Many are praising the two police officers who were on the baseball field and took down the shooter. Special agents Crystal Griner and David Bailey are members of Scalise’s security detail. Griner, the 32-year-old Maryland native, was shot in her ankle, but that did not keep her from doing her job. She is the one who reportedly fired the shot that killed the shooter.
Senator Rand Paul, who was in a batting cage, said he heard fifty or sixty shots. Then members of Scalise's security detail began returning fire. Rand is the one who told a reporter that, without Scalise's security, there would have been a massacre.
