In an unfortunate incident on Wednesday, June 14, an American gunman fired rounds of bullets at Republican lawmakers during baseball practice at a park in Alexandria, Virginia. The sudden attack left three of the Congressmen seriously injured with no casualties so far. Two Police officials were also injured in the gunfight surviving non-critical injuries. The House of Representatives Majority Whip Steve Scalise was among the wounded victims as his left hip was hit by a bullet. He was admitted to the MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
Scalise holds a senior position in the Democratic Party and was elected to Congress in 2008.
According to the medical board, Mr. Scalise is in a critical condition after surgery and further surgeries will be performed on him to treat the multiple fractures, internal injuries, and severe bleeding. Alexandria Police officials claimed that the Police force came into action and engaged the attacker within three minutes. He was gunned down by the police force later.
Few facts about the attacker
The gunman was identified as James T Hodgkinson, a 66-year old Illinois native. His Facebook account was filled with anti-Republican and anti-Trump posts that establish his motive for the massacre. His wife confirmed that he was self-employed and shifted to Virginia two months back. He volunteered on the election campaigns of Democratic presidential candidate Barnie Sanders.
Police said that Hodgkinson had criminal records for traffic rule violations and other allegations of violence against him.
From the eyewitness’ perspective
According to the eyewitness, the attacker confirmed if the players on the field are Republicans or Democrats and started Open firing. He carried a rifle and shot 50 to 100 rounds hiding behind a dug-out.
Mr. Scalise’s police security force was armed with pistols and they started counter attacks on the gunman immediately. The Baseball Game was in full swing when the attack happened and the 15-25 players scattered around the ground and took shelter wherever possible. The fire-fight lasted for approximately 10 minutes and the Police officials were appreciated for their prompt action as otherwise, the scene could have been more pathetic.
Repercussions after the incident
President Mr. Trump damned this attack and termed it as a "very, very brutal assault". He further went on to visit Mr. Scalise in the hospital describing him as a “patriot and a fighter”. Barnie Sanders, for whom the attacker had campaigned, said he was "sickened by this despicable act" and condemned his action. The heinous act was criticized by every spokesperson from different social and political sphere. Twitter and other social media pages were flooded with messages and posts related to the attack. Everyone is now praying for their speedy recovery of the victims and the political leaders are united once again to criticize and fight this situation.
