# Multiple gunshots in Alexandria Virginia at the Congressional Baseball Practice. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 14, 2017, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930 "2017-06-14T12:05:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/1 "2017-06-14T12:05:57Z")
Breaking news reports between 14 to 50 shots fired. Congressman Steve Scalis has been shot, among others. Nothing on line yet. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/2 "2017-06-14T12:10:58Z")
The Hill has some [reporting available now](http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/337717-report-shooting-near-congressional-baseball-game-practice-field). ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/3 "2017-06-14T12:12:42Z")
> **[Scalise critical, shooter ID'd as James Hodgkinson](https://www.foxnews.com/us/scalise-critical-shooter-idd-as-james-hodgkinson)** > > A gunman believed to be a supporter of former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders sprayed a hail of bullets at a GOP baseball practice in Alexandria, Va. Wednesday morning, critically wounding House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La.,... ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/4 "2017-06-14T12:14:38Z")
I’m watching the coverage on ABC. Reports are one shooter, who has been taken into custody. No specific details have been announced yet, other than Scalise has been shot. No word on his condition. Two members of his security detail have also been shot. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/5 "2017-06-14T12:27:13Z")
He’s been shot in the hip and is in stable condition. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/6 "2017-06-14T12:28:41Z")
Report coming out now that Rep. Scalise’s injuries are not life-threatening. Good to hear. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/7 "2017-06-14T12:33:27Z")
From the local news station, the shooter is a “chubby” middle-aged white male and is in custody. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/8 "2017-06-14T12:39:56Z")
Any word on how far away the shooter was from the targets? Doesn’t seem like he was that accurate. Good that there were no fatalities and hope this doesn’t affect the annual baseball game, in these partisan days we’d hate to lose an opportunity for bipartisan mingling. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/9 "2017-06-14T12:45:28Z")
Terrible news. Very thankful Rep. Scalise is expected to recover. > **[Scalise remains in critical condition after shooting | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/14/politics/alexandria-virginia-shooting/index.html)** > > Rep. Steve Scalise, a congressional staffer, a lobbyist and a member of the Capitol police force were shot Wednesday in Alexandria, Virginia, during a Republicans’ early-morning practice ahead of a charity baseball game. > [@](#): > > Rep. Steve Scalise was shot Wednesday morning in Alexandria, Virginia, a House colleague told CNN, in what sources are calling an apparent “deliberate attack.” ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/10 "2017-06-14T12:46:02Z")
So…Rifle, semi-auto, presumably with decent capacity and a smaller caliber. Probably along the lines of an AR-15 or clone, although something along the same lines in wood wouldn’t surprise me either. My guess is number of shots is closer to 15 than 50. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/11 "2017-06-14T12:48:48Z")
I heard the shooter asked if they were republicans or democrats before he began shooting. So he was actually after republicans. That’s surprising to me. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/12 "2017-06-14T13:00:30Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I heard the shooter asked if they were republicans or democrats before he began shooting. > > So he was actually after republicans. That’s surprising to me. I don’t think we have enough data to reach any conclusions yet. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/13 "2017-06-14T13:02:02Z")
How did the shooter know a bunch of guys on a baseball field are politicians? People dressed in athletic gear pretty much all look alike. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/14 "2017-06-14T13:08:15Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > So…Rifle, semi-auto, presumably with decent capacity and a smaller caliber. Probably along the lines of an AR-15 or clone, although something along the same lines in wood wouldn’t surprise me either. My guess is number of shots is closer to 15 than 50. I dunno, an AR-15 has a 30 round magazine, and he could have switched magazines pretty quickly. You can get off 50 shots in a surprisingly short time if you’re just spraying and praying. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/15 "2017-06-14T13:09:55Z")
This is one of those situations in which you almost can’t help writing a narrative: Republicans targeted, was it a disaffected Democrat, blah blah blah. WE KNOW NOTHING YET. Maybe for once we could just wait for solid info? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/16 "2017-06-14T13:10:48Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > I dunno, an AR-15 has a 30 round magazine, and he could have switched magazines pretty quickly. You can get off 50 shots in a surprisingly short time if you’re just spraying and praying. Witnesses said they thought he reloaded. Of course, it’s in no way unusual for the details at 12:00 in a story like this to be far different from the details at 11:00, an hour earlier. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/17 "2017-06-14T13:11:09Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > How did the shooter know a bunch of guys on a baseball field are politicians? > > People dressed in athletic gear pretty much all look alike. It’s possible he has some affiliation with the facility and was told that that field would be booked for the day. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/18 "2017-06-14T13:12:55Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > I dunno, an AR-15 has a 30 round magazine, and he could have switched magazines pretty quickly. You can get off 50 shots in a surprisingly short time if you’re just spraying and praying. Fair enough. I just assume the lower number due to sensationalism and eye-witness reports often being wrong on the high side. If it was 50, he was definitely spraying and praying. Third-base dugout to the infield is what, 200 feet max? ---
**Author:** ![Theodore\_Striker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Theodore\_Striker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theodore_Striker)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/19 "2017-06-14T13:14:35Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > How did the shooter know a bunch of guys on a baseball field are politicians? > > People dressed in athletic gear pretty much all look alike. Not sure, but I am guessing that this may be a somewhat known practice, considering the number of Congress-critters present, especially if this was a resident of the area. I am thinking that because of the targets, this is a politically motivated act, whether it be against one party or the other, or against politicians in general. It’s an act that should be condemned either way, and hopefully neither side will try to use this as political gain. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930/20 "2017-06-14T13:17:35Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Any word on how far away the shooter was from the targets? Doesn’t seem like he was that accurate. Once the shooting started people scattered over and open field. It can be difficult to hit multiple moving targets. > [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I heard the shooter asked if they were republicans or democrats before he began shooting. > > So he was actually after republicans. That’s surprising to me. As noted, this is early and information is far from complete, but if that is what happened… no, not entirely surprising to me. The Republicans may be on top of the power heap right now but there are people deeply unhappy with what Congress and the President are doing right now. > [@aceplace57](#): > > How did the shooter know a bunch of guys on a baseball field are politicians? > > People dressed in athletic gear pretty much all look alike. Apparently, it was well known in the neighborhood that’s where the Republican baseball practices. Also, Scalise had a security detail, which sort of indicates “important person here”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-gunshots-in-alexandria-virginia-at-the-congressional-baseball-practice/788930.md?page=2)