President Donald Trump quickly responded to the shooting at the Republican practice for the annual Congressional baseball game early Wednesday morning.
Early reports indicate that five individuals were shot, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, according to reporters on the scene. The shooter fired an unknown type of rifle before the individual was apprehended by police on the scene.
“The Vice President and I are aware of the shooting incident in Virginia and are monitoring developments closely,” Trump wrote in the official statement. “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.”
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky told Fox News that the shooting would have been a mass shooting if Scalise hadn’t been in attendance, due to the high number of police required to protect congressional leadership.
The identity of the other staffers injured in the shooting remains unknown.
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