A man armed with a semi-automatic weapon opened fire on a group of Republican congressman as they were practising baseball – an apparently deliberate attack on some of the most powerful politicians in the country.
The men who came under fire at an early morning sports session on the outskirts of Washington DC told dramatic accounts of how they scrambled for safety behind the field’s dugout as they came under fire, with at least one congressman and several aides being hit by bullets. The suspected gunman was taken into custody and police said they situation was contained.
Congressman Steve Scalise, a close ally of President Trump and the Republican whip in the House, was shot in the hip. He was able to drag himself to safety, as the politicians’ security officers, members of the United States Capitol Police, returned fire with their pistols. While Mr Scalise was said to be in a stable condition and undergoing surgery, two of those shot were said to be critical.
"I was out there waiting to get ready when I heard shots. There must have been 50 to 100 shots fired,” Congressman Mo Brooks told CNN. "Then I heard Steve Scalise at 2nd Base. He screams. There is a semi-automatic."
Mr Brooks said he was able to scramble over to Mr Scalise. Mr Brooks said as Mr Scalise dragged himself towards the dug out to seek cover, he took off his belt and was able to use it as a tourniquet to help a member of the congressional staff who had also been shot.
Mr Scalise “crawled into the outfield, leaving a trail of blood”. “We started giving him the liquids, I put pressure on his wound in his hip,” Mr Brooks said.
“One of our security detail was shooting back, but it was our pistol versus the shooter's rifle. The only weapon I had was a baseball bat. That's not a battle you want to go in."
The congressman said that another of his colleagues, Ron Desantis, was standing at 3rd Base and had not yet come in to bat. “He was due to bat. But that probably saved his life. He had come in he might have been the first to get shot,” he said.
House Speaker Paul Ryan's office said Mr Scalise's wounds were not believed to be life-threatening and that a member of the security detail was also shot.
One witness, Luther Murphy, told The Independent: “I was just walking through [by the baseball field] and I heard a bunch of gunshots And the police were shooting back.”
Mr Murphy added: “I left when I heard the gunshots.”
Another witness, Noah Nathan, said he was entering a dog park close to the field when the shooting occurred. “I'm pretty p***ed off,” he said. “I don't know if he had beef with the congressman or just wanted to have fun.”
Asked if it was a deliberate attack on Republican politicians, Mr Brooks told CNN: “People know who we are. It’s not a secret that we’re practising here… He was going after elected officials.”
Mr Scalise is in a stable condition at George Washington University Hospital, according to one congressional aide, where he is undergoing surgery.
The attack happened at the field in Del Ray, a residential neighbourhood of Alexandria, some time before 7am. The politicians were getting ready for a charity game against Democrats later this week.
The politicians who were present said it had seemed like an age before police were able to arrive.
However, Alexandria Police Chief Michael Brown said at a press conference that officers received a call about an active shooter shortly after 7am and that they were on the location within three minutes.
"We consider this incident to be a closed incident under investigation," he said.
President Donald Trump said Mr Scalise was “badly injured” in the shooting but will “fully recover”.
The President said on Twitter: “Rep Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a true friend and patriot, was badly injured but will fully recover."
