Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., said one of the victims of Wednesday’s shooting incident in Virginia was a former long-time staffer of his, a person he considered “a third son to Sue, my wife, and myself.
“He is in surgery at this time and in very grave condition,” Walberg said at the beginning of an Education and the Workforce Committee hearing. “It is very hard to imagine that such a tragedy could have occurred while our colleagues were doing something as simple as practicing for a charity baseball game before they came to work. The horrific events of this morning have caused us to give thanks to the brave men and women of the Capitol Hill police who serve and protect us all.”
Walberg then asked his colleagues to join him a short prayer for the victims.
A committee staffer identified the victim Walberg was referring to as Matt Mika, now a lobbyist for Tyson Foods.
Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., the ranking Democrat on the committee, offered his prayers as well and said the baseball game the victims were practicing for was still scheduled to should still go ahead.
“I think we will all win by playing tomorrow,” Walberg agreed.
