Five people including the House Majority Whip Steve Scalise were shot at a GOP baseball practice on Wednesday morning.
Scalise was shot in the hip by the gunman who fired between 50 and 100 rounds from his rifle before being brought down by Capitol Police.
Florida Rep. Ron DeSantis said the shooter asked the group of they were Republicans or Democrats before opening fire.
Two members of Scalise’s security detail were also shot and an unnamed congressional staffer was shot in the leg.
The shooting took place at around 6.30am at a practice field in Alexandria, Virginia.
The politicians were practicing for a charity match which is due to take place on Thursday at Nationals Park.
President Trump issued a statement shortly after the shooting to say he was ‘deeply saddened’ and was monitoring the situation closely.
‘We are 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,’ he said.
Scalise is the Republican majority whip in the House of Representatives – the congressman responsible for counting votes and maintaining party discipline.
The Louisianan, a father of two, is counted among conservatives in Congress who tend to back President Donald Trump’s more controversial initiatives, including calling his famous travel ban a ‘prudent’ measure. he endorsed Trump unreservedly last year.
