US House Majority Whip shot at congressional baseball practice

WASHINGTON — House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana was shot Wednesday at a congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, officials said. His wounds were not believed to be life-threatening.

 

Alexandria police said a suspect in the shooting was in custody and "not a threat."

 

A congressional aide said Scalise was in stable condition at George Washington University Hospital.

 

Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., said several other people also were hit, including two law enforcement officers. Brooks said that Scalise, 51, was down on the ground with what Brooks described as "a hip wound."

 

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."

 

Brooks said the 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," Brooks said.

 

Scalise is the No. 3 House Republican leader. He was first elected to the House in 2008 after serving in the state legislature.

 

Rep. Jeff Duncan said in a statement that he was at the practice and "saw the shooter."

 

"Please pray for my colleagues," Duncan said.

 

House Speaker Paul Ryan's office said Scalise's wounds were not believed to be life-threatening and that a member of the security detail was also shot.

 

Katie Filous was walking her two dogs near the field when she heard "a lot of shots, probably more than 20." She said the shooting "went on for quite a while."

 

Filous said she saw the shooter hit a uniformed law enforcement officer, who she said was later evacuated by helicopter. She said the officer had gotten out of a parked car, drawn a handgun and shouted something to the gunman, who then fired.