U.S. Congressman from Louisiana, Steve Scalise, one of the conservative members of Congress and coordinator of the Republican faction in the House of Representatives, received a gunshot wound during an attack at a Baseball practice near Washington, The New York Times reported citing CNN. The shooting started at about 7.20 am local time.

NBC News and Reuters reported that Scalise and two other injured members of the security service for Congress are out of danger. Scalise underwent surgery at the MedStar hospital in Washington, and his condition is stable.

Trump expressed his support

President Donald Trump, through a spokesman Sean Spicer, announced that he had been notified of what had happened and expressed his support for the victims. Trump and his wife visited Scalise at the hospital, taking two large white flower bouquets on Wednesday night.

“Just left hospital,” Mr. Trump tweeted. “Rep. Steve Scalise, one of the truly great people, is in very tough shape - but he is a real fighter. Pray for Steve!”

According to the police, the suspect, Hodgkinson, opened fire during the baseball team practice at the YMCA sports complex in the Del Ray area of Alexandria, Virginia (about 15 km south of Washington), where Scalise was present.

At least 25 high-ranking Republicans witnessed the incident.

Congressman Kentucky Rand Paul told MSNBC that the life of the senators were in direct danger, and noted that they were saved only by the Capitol Police. The police are real heroes as they saved their lives.

The New York Times quoted Mike Bishop as saying that "the gunman had seemed to be firing a series of two shots at a time, a firearms technique known as “double-tapping,” sending off bullets that kicked up the gravel on the baseball field as they struck the ground.

There was so much gunfire, you couldn’t get up and run."

66-year-old man opened gunfire

Another witness of the incident, the congressman from Alabama -- Morris Brooks, told CNN that the attacker was the 66-year old James T. Hodgkinson from Belleville. In his estimation, he fired off several dozen shots, wounding at least five people.

Scalise received a hip injury and the other congressmen provided him with first aid.

The Washington Post reported that Hodgkinson is the owner of a house inspection company and that in April 2006 he was charged with an offense. According to the Hodgkinson Facebook page, he appeared to be have been an enthusiastic fan of Bernie Sanders.

The Alexandria Police reported the detention of the suspect. "The suspect is detained, the threat has passed," the police said on Twitter.