Scalise Shot by Assailant at Congressional Baseball Practice

Scalise Shot by Assailant at Congressional Baseball Practice

Rep. Steve Scalise Shot at Virginia Baseball Field

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was shot Wednesday morning at congressional baseball practice in Del Ray, Virginia, and at least four others were also injured, according to a lawmaker who was at the practice. Alexandria police said on Twitter a suspect was in custody.

Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama said on CNN that he and other lawmakers tried to apply a tourniquet with his belt for one injured person to try and stop the bleeding.

"There must have been 50, 100 shots fired," Brooks said.

Brooks said Capitol security forces were firing back with pistols at the shooter until the shooter was tackled to the ground.

Rep. Steve Scalise Shot at Virginia Baseball Field

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise has been shot at a congressional baseball practice in Del Ray, Virginia.

(Source: Bloomberg)

The House Republican baseball team has been practicing in recent weeks in early mornings at the Alexandria site for Thursday annual congressional baseball game.

Scalise has been a avid participant in the game since arriving in Congress. 

He is the third-ranking House Republican as whip, the chief vote counter in the Republican conference.

Brad Wenstrup, a Republican congressman who served as a military surgeon in Iraq, attended to Scalise after the shooter was down, Brooks said on CNN.

Brooks said the assailant "was trying to take out our security detail" before he turned to lawmakers.

Representative Ron DeSantis, a Florida Republican, left a few minutes before the shooting but told Fox News that a man walked up and asked if Republicans or Democrats were out on the field. He wasn’t carrying anything, DeSantis said.

“The encounter I had in the parking lot was very, very strange,” DeSantis said, although it is unclear whether the person was the assailant.

Senator Rand Paul told MSNBC that he was in the batting cage when he first heard one isolated shot and then a rapid succession of shots. He saw Scalise dragging himself to the outfield.

Paul also said that the security detail was present because Scalise is in a leadership position in Congress. Otherwise there wouldn’t have been any officers present.

The House Democrats meanwhile were at their own, separate practice and prayed for their colleagues on the field, per a Tweet from Representative Ruben Kihuen.