(This story was updated June 14 at 3:30 p.m.)
[W]ASHINGTON — Vermont’s congressional delegation offered prayers Wednesday for House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who was shot and wounded along with four congressional aides during a practice ahead of this week’s annual congressional baseball game.
The alleged shooter, identified as 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson, was wounded by Capitol Police officers, and President Donald Trump announced Hodgkinson had died in the hospital shortly before noon. Two members of Scalise’s police detail were wounded during the firefight with the shooter.
It’s unclear if the attack was random, or politically motivated. The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Hodgkinson had worked in Iowa on the presidential primary campaign of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
Hodgkinson apparently belonged to a number of liberal Facebook groups, including one called “Terminate the Republican Party.” A Facebook page in his name contains numerous photos and posts related to Sanders. One post from August says, “I want Bernie to Win the White House.”
Reports from the Federal Election Commission show no payments made to Hodgkinson, and in a floor speech Wednesday, Sanders said the alleged shooter had been a volunteer.
“I am sickened by this despicable act, and 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,” Sanders said.
“Real change can only come about through nonviolent action,” he added.
.@SenSanders statement that alleged shooter was presidential campaign volunteer: “I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms.” pic.twitter.com/iLjxDdnftN
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 14, 2017
Sanders has long encouraged nonviolent political action, dating back to his activism as a student at the University of Chicago, where he spearheaded a peaceful sit-in over the college’s segregationist housing policies. He also served as an organizer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.
In a tweet, U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., thanked the police officers for protecting members of Congress, adding that Scalise and the other victims were in his prayers.
Our prayers with all the injured. And our deepest thanks–again–to the superb Capitol Police who protect all who work in or visit the Capitol
— Sen. Patrick Leahy (@SenatorLeahy) June 14, 2017
U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., called the shooting “shocking.”
Shocking news. Thinking of my friend @SteveScalise, Capitol police, staff and families.
— Rep. Peter Welch (@PeterWelch) June 14, 2017
Shortly afterward, Welch dropped off a bottle of Vermont maple syrup at Scalise’s Capitol office, where he has dined with the Louisiana representative in the past.
In an interview with VTDigger, Welch condemned the shooting, saying “violence is a very toxic addition to civic life, and people who use violence create enormous instability and insecurity.” Welch added that Sanders “has no responsibility here for what this lunatic did. None.”
Welch and Scalise served as the two lowest-ranking members on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and sat next to each other.
“We often kibitzed, as junior members, talking about how we could run things better,” Welch recalled. “We had a lot of fun.”
“Our politics are 100 percent different, but, like me, he loves representing the people of his district,” Welch continued. “And when we got hammered with [Tropical Storm] Irene, Steve was one of the Republicans who was extremely helpful to us. I was a delegation of one in the minority party, but we got the assistance we needed. Vermonters can be grateful for Steve Scalise. He helped us.”
