[ISIS ATTACKS ALEXANDRIA] GOP Whip Steve Scalise, Rep Williams and Capitol police shot in Alexandria park ...M4 rifle shooting lasted 10 minutes ... Shooter Asked ‘Are You Republicans or Democrats?’ .... suspect is dead





https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-06-14/jeff-duncan-ron-desantis-may-have-spoken-to-steve-scalise-gunman
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/joe-barton-shooting-lasted-five-ten-minutes
Emergency personnel are seen through a window with a bullet hole in Alexandria, Va., Wednesday, June 14, 2017. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana and others were shot Wednesday at a congressional baseball practice, officials said.
Two members of Congress said they believe they spoke to the gunman who fired on a group of Republican lawmakers on Wednesday morning in Virginia. (JOSEPH MISCAVIGE/AP)
Two members of Congress said they believe they spoke to the gunman who fired on a group of Republican lawmakers on Wednesday morning, hitting Majority Whip Steve Scalise and four others, moments before the shooting.
Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina and Ron DeSantis of Florida were leaving the GOP team practice, ahead of Thursday's annual Congressional Baseball Game, when they were approached by a man in running clothes as they were getting into DeSantis' car.
[READ: Rep. Mo Brooks Describes Steve Scalise Shooting]
"I was at the congressional baseball practice, but left before the shooting to catch an earlier meeting," Duncan wrote on Facebook. "I saw the shooter and am in the process of giving a statement to the police."
According to CNN, Duncan described the man as wearing running clothes, an account that differs from that of Sen. Jeff Flake, who said he believed the shooter was wearing jeans.
"There was a guy that walked up to us that was asking whether it was Republicans or Democrats there," DeSantis said on Fox News, describing the conversation. "It was just a little odd, and he kind of walked toward the area where this happened, so we've told the police that."
In a photo from Tuesday, June 13, 2017, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., joined by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., far right, and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., comments on health care for veterans during a news conference at Republican National Committee Headquarters on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Top Republican Scalise Shot in Virginia
DeSantis said the man was not carrying anything that looked like a weapon, but speculated that the gunman had "staged" the scene.
"It was just a little odd that he kind of really walked up to us to ask, and then went ahead," DeSantis said. "Probably [the shooting] was three minutes, five minutes after we pulled out of the parking lot."
The shooting, which took place just after 7 a.m., in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia, wounded Scalise, two Capitol Hill police officers on Scalise's security detail, and two others, including an aide to Rep. Roger Williams of Texas.
Alexandria Police have confirmed the gunman is in custody.
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http://wtop.com/alexandria/2017/06/14231771/
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, two Capitol Police officers and at least two others were shot at a baseball field Wednesday morning in the Alexandria, Virginia, neighborhood of Del Ray as Republican lawmakers and staff members practiced for the Congressional Baseball Game to be held at Nationals Park.
At a brief news conference at 9 a.m., Alexandria Police Chief Michael Brown confirmed five people were transported from the Alexandria ball field Wednesday morning, but declined to provide the names of those shot or their conditions.
Scalise, the No. 3 House Republican, was shot in the hip and taken to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where he is in stable condition, according to a statement released by his office. According to the statement, Scalise “was in good spirits” and spoke to his wife by phone before entering surgery.
George Washington University Hospital said two people in critical condition are being treated for injuries there.
A suspect in the shooting is in custody and does not pose a threat to the public, authorities said.
Related Gallery
Photos: Shooting at Congressional ballgame practice
Multiple people were shot at a Congressional baseball practice Wednesday morning in the Alexandria, Virginia neighborhood of Del Ray.
“This is a stable situation at this point,” Brown said at the news conference. “There is no additional threat. We consider this incident to be a closed incident under investigation.”
The weapon used in the shooting is an M4 assault rifle, according to CBS News.
The Alexandria Police said the shooting happened at 7:09 a.m. Alexandria police arrived within three minutes and also exchanged gunfire with the suspect, police said.
Chief of the Capitol Police Matthew Verderosa said Capitol Police officers at the scene first responded to gunshots Wednesday morning and engaged with a suspect in gunfire.
“And at that point, we were able to calm the situation until the victims were transported to the hospital,” Verderosa said.
Scalise travels with a security detail because he is a member of House leadership.
Alexandria police are working with the Capitol Police and the FBI in the investigation. Another news conference is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
“It’s very early on and we have a lot of witnesses to interview,” Verderosa said.
WHERE DID IT HAPPEN?
Alexandria Police were called to the 400 block of East Monroe Avenue near Dewitt Avenue after reports of multiple shootings Wednesday morning.
The ball field is near a dog park, an Aldi and the YMCA on Monroe Avenue, off busy U.S. 1. Police have shut down many of the roads surrounding the baseball diamond.
Police said the incident has been contained and secured, but a large area around the ball field remains closed off for the investigation.
An aerial view of the ballpark courtesy of Google Earth.
WHO WAS INJURED?
In addition to Scalise, two Capitol Police officers were also shot. Their conditions are not known. Texas Congressman Roger Williams said a member of his congressional staff was also shot as well, but the staffer’s condition is not known.
The eruption of gunfire early Wednesday morning sparked panic on the baseball field where GOP lawmakers were gathered to practice for the annual charity baseball matchup, which was scheduled for Thursday evening at Nationals Park.
Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., in an interview on CNN, said he was on the baseball field near third base when he heard shots and saw a man armed with what appeared to be a rifle.
“We had people in the first base dugout who were screaming into their telephones that we were under attack and to send help immediately,” Brooks said.
Rep. Mike Bishop, R-Mich., said Scalise was standing on second base when he was shot.
“I was looking right at him,” Bishop told Detroit radio station WWJ. “He was a sitting duck.”
Witnesses said it sounded like many shots were fired.
SECURITY TIGHTENED AT WHITE HOUSE
Officials said security has been tightened at the White House.
In a statement, President Donald Trump said: “The Vice President and I are aware of the shooting incident in Virginia and are monitoring developments closely. We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the members of Congress, their staffs, Capitol Police, first responders, and all others affected.”
Capitol Police also said in a statement they had “deployed a robust police presence” on Capitol Hill but that buildings on the Capitol Complex remained opened.
LOCK-IN LIFTED
Alexandria City Public Schools were in lock-in mode after the shooting, but the lock-in lifted around 8:50 a.m.
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Edited 19 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/2017 11:44AM by Fox News.
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