Gunman Who Fired on Congressional Baseball Team Consumed by Anti-Trump Anger
A lone gunman who open聽fired on Republican members of the congressional baseball team who were practicing at a field in suburban Washington, D.C., early Wednesday morning has been identified as James T. (Tom) Hodgkinson.
Hodgkinson, 66, of Belleville, Illinois, a suburb of St. Louis, open fired with a rifle and was wounded by Capitol Police, who were on site as security detail for Rep. Steve Scalise, the majority whip of the House of Representatives. Police later said Hodgkinson died after being taken into custody.聽
The New York Times聽聽that Scalise was at second base when he was struck聽in the hip, and collapsed as chaos quickly overtook the morning. Two members of Scalise鈥檚 security detail were wounded as they exchanged fire with Hodgkinson.
Hodgkinson, a building inspector,聽had聽聽including a 2006 arrest for assaulting his girlfriend, failing to obtain electrical permits, eluding police and driving under the influence.聽
On Facebook, Hodgkinson was like 鈥淭erminate The Republican Party鈥� and 鈥淭he Road to Hell is Paved with Republicans.鈥� He was a passionate supporter of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential bid last year, and was consumed with partisan anger over the election of President Trump (read 人兽性交 President Richard Cohen鈥檚 statement on the tragedy).
On May 22, Hodgkinson posted an ominous comment about the Trump administration on Facebook with a link to an online petition calling for the president鈥檚 impeachment. Elsewhere on his Facebook page, Hodgkinson was upset by Trump鈥檚 decision to withdraw the United States from The Paris Climate Agreement. Police have not, however,聽identified a motive, stressing the investigation was in its early stages.聽聽
Word of the shooting rattled many in Congress, who gathered in support of their injured peers.聽Sanders responded to news of the shooting on Twitter聽with support for his colleagues in Congress and saying he was 鈥渟ickened by this despicable act. Let me be as clear as I can be: Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms.鈥�
