Georgia Rep. Barry Loudermilk and his aides are OK after a shooting at a baseball field in northern Virginia left a lawmaker and several others injured.
Loudermilk was among the legislators at the Alexandria, Va. field Wednesday morning where the congressional baseball team was practicing for their Thursday night charity game when the gunman opened fire.
“I was on the field, but I’m okay," Loudermilk said in a statement. "This was a senseless act of evil. Please pray for those who were shot and their families.”
We've reached out to the other members of the Georgia delegation:
- U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson was at a prayer breakfast and is safe in the Capitol, a staffer reports;
- U.S. Sen. David Perdue was being interviewed on Fox Business News when reports of the shooting hit;
- U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, who played on the baseball team in previous years, is out of harm's way;
- Contacts for U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter, Sanford Bishop, Tom Graves, Rob Woodall, David Scott, Jody Hice, Drew Ferguson, Hank Johnson, Rick Allen and Doug Collins report everyone in their office is safe, too;
- We're still waiting to hear back from a spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. John Lewis.
The Alexandria Police tweeted that a suspect was in custody "and not a threat." Meanwhile, the U.S. Capitol Police said it is investigating the shooting and that it's beefed up security around the U.S. Capitol complex as a precaution.
President Donald Trump said he and Vice President Mike Pence were "deeply saddened by this tragedy."
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the members of Congress, their staffs, Capitol Police, first responders, and all others affected," Trump said in a statement."
Wednesday's shooting brings more attention to the Atlanta Braves as they wrap up their series against the Washington Nationals in D.C. They are scheduled to play in Nationals Park, just a 15 minute walk from the U.S. Capitol, tonight.
Loudermilk was planning to don the Braves' red and navy jersey during Thursday's annual game, which pits Republican lawmakers against Democrats in order to raise money for charity. He's played on the team for three years as a designated hitter.
Former U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston had played on the team for 15 years but was not at Wednesday morning's practice. The Savannah Republican said participating in the bipartisan game for charity was the "best experience I had in Congress."
The game is a beloved tradition on Capitol Hill that stretches back more than 100 years. It attracts hundreds of congressional staffers and onlookers to Nationals Park to cheer on the two parties. Proceeds from this year's tickets are scheduled to go to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation and the Washington Literacy Center.
Scalise, a member of the House Republican leadership as the majority whip, appeared to have been shot in the hip and it appeared two Capitol Hill police agents were shot, according to Rep. Mo Brooks, who told CNN he was on deck when the shooting occurred.
As of 9:45 a.m. ET, Scalise was in stable condition but undergoing surgery, per a statement from his office.
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