It’s “too early to tell” if Wednesday’s shooting at a group of Republican lawmakers practicing for the congressional baseball game is terrorism, an assassination attempt or if the shooter was politically motivated.
The shooter has been identified in multiple reports as James T. Hodgkinson, 66, from Belleville, Ill.
Tim Slater, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Washington, D.C., field office, didn’t have many details to release on the shooter’s motive during a press conference Wednesday morning.
“(It’s) really early in the investigation,” Slater said.
Hodgkinson was a supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., presidential campaign and had been previously arrested for battery and aiding damage to a motor vehicle in 2006, according to the Washington Post.
Slater added it’s “too early to say” if it was a terrorist attack, targeted attack or assassination attempt.
Slater said it’s unclear if Hodgkinson — described by witnesses at the scene as a middle-aged man between 55 and 65 years old, possibly with white hair — was a former member of the military.
The suspect fired tens of rounds at Republican lawmakers as they played baseball at Simpson Park in Alexandria, Va. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was shot in the hip and went into surgery Wednesday morning, and at least four others were also wounded. The wounded included police officers and congressional staffers.
Police were called to the area at 7:09 a.m. Wednesday for a report of an active shooter, said Mike Brown, chief of the Alexandria police.
Brown said the suspect shot at officers and members of the Capitol Police there as part of Scalise’s detail, who returned fire. The suspect was reportedly shot and had been taken into custody.
“This city is indeed safe,” Brown said.
He added that police are canvassing neighborhoods in response to the incident.
