Transcripts For CNNW Wolf 20170614

Shooter. I see Steve Scalise out in the field. He dragged himself after he was shot from the near second base about 10 or 15 yards in the field. He was laying motionless out there. The emotional shock of seeing your friend shot where youre helpless, you have a baseball bat. They have a rifle. Youre defenseless. Our lives were saved by the Capitol Police. Had they not been there, i think it would have been a massacre. This could be the First Political rhetorical terrorist act. That has to stop. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. Hello, im wolf blitzer. Its 1 00 p. M. Here in washington. Thanks very much for joining us. We begin this hour with breaking news in the nations capitol. A congressional leader and four other people shot and wounded when a gunman opened fire during a baseball practice early this morning. In remarks just a little while ago, President Trump announced that the gunman is dead. Authors are continuing to investigate the crime. And the assailant has now died from his injuries. The fbi is leading the investigation. And will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available. Many lives would have been lost if not for the heroic actions of the two Capitol Police officers who took down the gunman despite sustaining gunshot wounds during a very, very brutal assault. We may have our differences, but we do well in times like these to remember that everyone who serves in our nations capitol is here because above all, they love our country. We can all agree that we are blessed to be americans. Here are the latest developments in the investigation. Authorities are now identified the gunman as 66yearold James Hodgkinson of belleville, illinois according to a Law Enforcement source. Investigators have found antitrump postings on his social media pages. He was also a supporter of the Bernie Sanders president ial campaign. Witnesses say the shooter opened fire on republican lawmakers and staff at a baseball field in alexandria, virginia, just outside washington, d. C. Lawmakers were practicing for a charity game tomorrow night. They say the game at Washington Nationals park will go on as planned. Those shot and wounded include the House Majority whip Steve Scalise, was undergoing surgery. Hes described as being in stable condition. President trump today called the congressman a patriot and a fighter. Witnesses described the gunmans weapon as a semiautomatic rifle. In the words of one lawmaker and im quoting him now, he had a lot of ammo. I want to bring in john king up on capitol hill with a special guest. John, have you senator jeff flake with you. He was there this morning. He was, wolf. Thank you very much. Senator flake, now in a suit and tie. I saw you this morning, you were still wearing your baseball pants and shirt and cleats when you came here. Take us back to the moment this morning, when did you first get the impression you were under fire . We heard one shot at about 7 10. And everybody just kind of looked at each other, that sounded like a gun, sounded close. But a few seconds later, then there was kind of a volley. Then it was clear. Scalise was at second base. He is in the hospital. Were told in stable condition in surgery. Where are you . I was on the first baseline. I had batted and gone to the field and had come back and just talking to joe barton from texas at that time. And kind of looked at each other. Then realized it was gunfire. And a number of us leaded for the dugout, first base dugout. Believing that the gunman was over on the by the other dugout and he was. So there were ultimately about 12 of us in that dugout. And a few more would come every couple of minutes. Including one of the Staff Members who had been shot while he was in center field. He had made his way over to the dugout and climbed in. And we had a belt and put it on to try to stop some of the bleeding. How many shots . Oh, some people were estimating over 50. I think thats an understatement. There were a lot. He was well armed. Did you get at all a glimpse either at the shooter or at the weapon. I did at the shooter, not the weapon. I think he had lost the rifle by the time i saw him. He worked back behind home plate behind the fence. I was trying to see if he was down. I wanted to get out to where Steve Scalise was to see if we could drag him over to the dugout. So i stood up and the gunman was there just behind the fence behind home plate. And he caught sight of where i was. And so we quickly a bunch of us jumped down so as not to be in the line of fire. Because he had a line of sight to us. And a number of us were there, and worried that he would make his wayard and get in the dugout and then we would be in a really bad situation. Did you see him taken down . No, we were tending to the staff member and also joe bartons son, 10yearold was there. He made it to the dugout, as well. We quickly got him and put him under the bench and tried to hide him as much as we could. Then we heard the gunmans down. Thats when i ran out to steve to see if we could stop the bleeding there. For the next ten or 15 minutes, we did that. Describe that moment. When you arrived you say staunched the bleeding. What were your thoughts about the seriousness of this . You had see where they crawled from across some of the infield and the trail of blood to where he was. He had moved about 10 to 15 yards. Great effort to do that. I think he was trying to get away from the gunman. Speaking to you . Yes, he was. And he said he needed water. He was coherent, tried to keep him talking to make sure that he would say coherent. And he did so. And then we cut away some of the jersey and what not and tried to apply something to the wound. My batting gloves were on and those are pretty blood soaked now. Could you tell at that moment one gunshot . When you first arrived how did you figure out exactly where it was . That one was clear. We kept looking for other blood. We tried to see an exit wound. Another member ran out, brad, i believe from ohio who is a surgeon. And he we were looking to see if there was any other injury. We couldnt see it. But we were having a hard time somebody took off their sh shirt and we put it on the wound and tried to put gauze on. That wouldnt shop it. So we ended up having to put the shirt back on and get a belt or something to cinch it to try to keep the bleeding down. Whip scalise was speaking this entire time . He was, he was. You said he asked for water. What else did he say . He was just trying to ask and think about others or where the gunman was. But we were just glad he was talking and that he wasnt passing out. Obviously, its a chaotic situation. Youre not tracking time. Do you have any sense how quickly it was when you have police on keen . It seemed like a lot more than ten minutes. I think it was about ten minutes which is a long time to be with return fire for a gunman to continue and it was i can tell you, it was harrowing for a lot of people. Gunfire everywhere. When the gunfire started from behind our dugout, we really didnt know if that was our, you know, steves security detail or if it was another gunman perhaps. So i kept yelling, are you friendly, are you friendly. And finally, the officer poked his head around the dugout and said yes. Then i could see who it was. He kept returning fire from that position for a while. If Steve Scalise were not a member of the leadership and those two Capitol Police officers were not there, do you think youd be here right now . I doubt it. I would have been a horrible scene, must worse than it was. So yeah, very grateful they were there. I mean, he had a lot of ammo. And obviously, with people seeking refuge in the dugout, unless theres somebody there to protect it, you know, if he makes it there to the dugout, then youre in trouble. I talked to congressman desantos who left the field a few minutes before this happened. He said he and jeff duncan were in the car and the shooter approached and said were those democrats or republicans out there. Hes deceased now, the shooter. Antitrump, antirepublican ret tick. Obviously a political motivation it appears. Does that affect how you think about this day . No, i think there will be time enough to analyze that. Trying to wrap my head around what happened and hopefully best wishes and prayers to those who were injured. Capitol police so glad they were there and were so heroic. Senator, appreciate your time today. Wolf, as we get back to you, this is the sense you get across the capitol. People cleaned up have gone back to work. Theres a sense of shock and relief and a lot of prayers obviously for not only congressman scalise but the Police Officers and others who obviously at this point will recover from their injuries. Thankfully the Police Officers were there, capitol hill police. Otherwise this could have been so much worse. Thanks very much. Senator flake, thanks to you, as well. Fortunately youre okay. Lets bring in shimon pro cue pez. What can you tell us about 66yearold James Hodgkinson . We know a lot about him now. Hes from this area of illinois, belleville, illinois. As you said, hes 66. Pretty active social media, what was described by one Law Enforcement official as antitrump views, antitrump postings. He was a member of he was affiliated i should say with antigop groups. All of this very active, all of this open to the public on his facebook page. And also on his twitter page. So hes certainly tweeted at different u. S. Representatives, expressing his views. He has written letters to local newspaper complaining about some of the republican views. Republican views on taxes and unemployment. So you know, investigators are now pouring through all of this, looking at all this to try and figure out if this is what drove there man and drove this man to do this shooting. And that is playing a big part. Fbi is now leading this investigation and theyre going to try and build a timeline now because they dont exactly know when he came to alexandria, could have been recent, some family members have told the New York Times that it may have been in the last two months or so. Thats still under investigation. The police do have his vehicle that the vehicle that he drove to the scene and they were in the process of waiting for search warrants so they could search it to see what else was in there and what other evidence they can gather. Now that hes dead, to just understand what drove him and also important, to see who he was affiliated with, to see if there was anyone else maybe helping him, maybe who helped him purchase the guns. Anything along those lines, wolf. Were going to begin to learn a lot more about this individual. All right,sly money, thank you very much. Shimon pro cue pez reporting new information. Our senior congressional report are manu raju is up on capitol hill. The gunman were told was a Bernie Sanders supporter and senator sanders has now responded. Update us. Thats right. Moments ago, Bernie Sanders went to the floor of the United States senate to condemn exactly what happened this morning and to say, acknowledge he was told this morning that this individual was in fact a volunteer of his campaign. Some rather strong words from Bernie Sanders just moments ago. Take a listen. I have just been informed that the alleged shooter at the republican baseball practice this morning is someone who apparently volunteered on my president ial campaign. I am sickened by this despicable act. And let me be as clear as i can be. Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and i condemn this action in the strongest possible terms. Real change can only come about through nonviolent action and anything else runs counter to our most deeply held american values. I know i speak for the entire country in saying that my hopes and prayers are that representative scalise, congressional staff, and the Capitol Police officers who were wounded make a quick and full recovery. I also want to thank the Capitol Police for their heroic actions to prevent further harm. Now, wolf, the shooter did interact with one of the members who was participating in this baseball practice this morning. That was jeff duncan, the congressman from south carolina. The shooter apparently told him or asked him, who is practicing today . Democrats or was it the Republican Team. Duncan told him it was the Republican Team according to duncans own recounting. Now, what Bernie Sanders campaign is also responding to this, as well. Theyre saying they have no recollection of this individual. They said there were 10,000 Campaign Volunteers at one point. Even in dealing with their iowa caucuses. Some of them, a lot of them unpaid. It appears mr. Hodgkinson, the shooter was also unpaid volunteer. But they have no recollection of him according to what these Campaign Officials are now telling our colleagues but clearly Bernie Sanders felt the need to respond rather strongly earlier today after learning this news that this person was trying to elect him as president , wolf. Strong statement from senator sanders. Thanks very much, manu raju. Up on capitol hill. Lets go to our pentagon correspondent barbara starr. Shes over at the scene in alexandria, virginia, not very far very far pae away. Were just about ten minutes south of the pentagon. I came here right away this morning. This neighborhood i would think its fair to say on this street, there are no politics right now. These people are absorbing what has happened here and this is the scene of an fbi led federal investigation into an attack on congress. The baseball field just behind me much less of a police presencence than when we first got here several hours ago. Fbi leading this, the bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms on the scene. Local police on the scene. The governor was here. The fbi right now when they briefed reporters said theyre not ruling anything out. There may be political motivations, social media, but they are going to, as the fbi always does, of course, and as people would expect, look at every thread, everything they can find that will take them to any understanding of what happened here. It was 7 00 this morning when the first 911 call came in to alexandria police. They say they got here within three minutes. Capitol Hill Security that was guarding the congressman had returned fire. Those two of those personnel had been hit. Alexandria police also returning fire. We are even hearing stories of some of the people who live right across the street taking some of the members who were playing in this baseball game, taking them into their homes, giving them shelter in the moments of confusion as all of this unfolded. It is quiet now. But still, make no mistake. This an fbi federal investigation into an attack on congress. Wolf . An attack on a member of congress thats a federal crime. Thats why the fbi is now taking the leadership in this investigation. Although theyre getting extensive assistance from other federal agencies as well as local and state police there in virginia. Thanks very much for that. Lets go to brian todd over at the hospital here in washington where the majority whip Steve Scalise is being treated. Whats the latest youre hearing there, brian . Reporter weve just gotten word that congressman scalise is out of surgery. That came from senator jeff flake a short time ago. The hospital is not providing many details on that. We have been told by hospital fishes that congressman scalise and one other victim from the shooting are being treated here. The other victim the name is not being released by the hospital and the condition not released by the hospital at this time. We hope to get that for you shortly, wolf. A lot of Police Security vehicles to my right parked over here. Security personnel have been coming in and out of this building all day long since congressman scalise was medevacd here on a helicopter landing on a helipad just a few feet from where we are bhp also members of congress coming in and out all morning long here, as well. Congressman flake was able to grab scalises cell phone right after the shooting on the field while congressman scalise laid there motionless. He was able to call congressmans wife on the phone as he was being transported off the field. We were told by congressman scalises staff he is in stable condition. He was in good spirits when he was here just before he went into surgery and was able to contact his wife on the phone. Weve been hearing all morning from senator flake, from congressman mo brooks and others about the heroism of two u. S. Capitol Police Officers who were with congressman scalise at the time. Probably providing security to him since hes in the line of succession for the presidency as majority whip. He would have security with him. Were told those two officers engaged the shooter and took him down. Those two officers took the shooter down. The shooter is dead right now. And congressman mo brooks and others said those two officers saved everyones life on the field today, wolf. Brian todd, well get back to you when you get more information. I want to mention the names of the five people who were shot by this James Hodgkinson. Well put up their pictures, the ones we have at least to update you on their conditions. Steve scalise, hes listed in stable condition the majority whip. He has undergone surgery, the surgery were told has now been completed at the Washington Hospital center. Also, matt mika, director of Government Relations for tyson foods, senator flake told us mika practices with the team. Flake said he seemed to be the most seriously injured being treated over at George Washington university hospital. Listed in critical condition. Also zack barth, an aide to congressman roger williams. He was injured according to a statement from the lawmaker. We dont know which lopt, where hes being treated. The two Police Officers who were injured Krystal Griner and david bailey. Speaker ryan named them from the house floor just a little while ago. According to authorities, theyre also being treated at a local hospital. Their injuries are not believed to be lifethreatening. Thats the five individuals who were shot by James Hodgkinson who himself was shot and killed. Lets talk a little bit more about the response, the police, the investigation, alabama congressman mo brooks told me earlier if it werent for the heroism shown by the two Capitol Police officers on the scene, there were two of them, congressman brooks says this likely would have been a larger scale massacre. Here with us right now is tom fuentes, senior Law Enforcement analyst, former fbi assistant director. Also with me Law Enforcement analyst charles ramsey. Hes a former district of Columbia Police chief, always is Police Commissioner philadelphia. In sacramento, andre, a former u. S. Capitol Police Officer and alexandria on the scene. Art roderick, former u. S. Marshal. Art, youre there. The shooter were told by the president , were told he died in the hospital. What else can you tell us about what police found at the scene and the weapon the shooter used . Well, they located his vehicle which was only parked about ten yards from where the shooter initiated his first volley of rounds through the fence that divides the ball field from the parking lot of the ymca. This he had to know how to get here. This is suburban d. C. This is a residential area. Its not something you would just see you would see some of the ball fields from the highway but you would have to know how to take the backroads to get to this specific location. So the first thing that struck me is why here. Did he know that they were practicing here . Did he have did he do some surveillance and have some inside intel to get to this specific location . And the individual came heavily armied. He had a m1 or some type of Assault Rifle plenty of ammunition because we heard from the witnesses that we heard about 15, 20 rounds fifrd and then a reload and then the individual kept firing. So fast here to do a lot of dang. And thank goodness that the protection detail was here along with two alexandria city Police Officers who were here just as a courtesy to the protection detail. All right. Stands by, art. Were just getting some tape in of an acquaintance of James Hodgkinson, the 66yearold shooter, describing some of his political perhaps motivations. Listen to this. I just want to let people know that he wasnt evil. That he was i guess tired of some of the politics that are going on. Thats what we just heard, perhaps he wasnt evil, just tired of the politics thats going on. Tom fuentes, the fbi the lead investigator right now. Walk us through what theyre doing. I think the main thing theyre trying to find out, wolf, is whether he was associated with a group or other loosely affiliated individuals. Here in the d. C. Area. Its reported that he moved to alexandria from illinois in the last couple of months. Where was he living here in alexandria. Theyll try to find where that is, talk to neighbors and other people. Was there a group that he joined when he was here. And go back through his social media and any computer records, phone records, anything else they can find to see who else did he talk to and what did he tell them. Did he reveal intentions like this at some point. Of course, also, the fbi will be getting assistance from atf in particular tracing the gun. Where did the gun come from . Did he buy it . Did somebody else provide it for him and identify who that individual is. Right now thats the main focus. Who else did he talk to here that may reveal hes part of a larger group. Andre, let me go to you. Youre in sacramento. Steve scalise, the majority whip, he had a small security detail. Hes a leader, the number three leader in the house of representatives. Is this normal security for a majority whip . Do they always get this kind of protection or is this relatively new . No, thats correct. Back in 1998, there was a shooting at the u. S. Capitol building. And there was a detective gibson. He was killed defending then majority whip tom delay. This is pretty standard that the leadership members of congress receive a security detail as well as any members that have a threat against them. A credible threat i should add. And its also normal i take it when lets say a leader shows up at a baseball practice with his two Capitol Police fers protecting him, local police hear about that and may come as an automatic sort of backup out of an abundance of caution. That looks like what happened this morning. Thats correct. And in the d. C. Metro area, lease a lot of coordination between Law Enforcement agencies both federal and local. Charles ramsey, chief ramsey, i want to play something for you that david brad, hes a republican congressman from virginia told me about his concerns going forward. Listen to this. Immediately, it brings town halls to mind, too. You got 1,000 folks, people that want to you know, give you their views as constituents, et cetera. We have the security thing now is going to be ramped up to new levels. It takes just one person thats off the rails on a certain day, its not good. I take it security is going to be ramped up. But not only on capitol hill. But elsewhere when a member of congress, for example, has a town hall back home someplace and people come by the hundreds, presumably theres going to be tighter security. Well, oftentimes, if its not here in washington wherever its being held, the local police Linda Stouffer provide a detail there to kind of deal with some of the crowd issues and so forth. Im sure there will be a lot of discussions that now about security increases. But thats happened before. Gabby giffords when she was shot, not too long ago, and other incidents that take place. The bottom line is, its very difficult. You have an all of lot of members of congress and top have 24hour protection for each and every one of them is certainly a challenge. Im sure there will be a lot of discussion now about what takes place not just here in washington but elsewhere if theres a need for security. Tom, you agree . Completely. You think that when they just have a routine town hall now local police wherever they are in their districts and states, they presumably will come over just to make sure everything is good . I think so. I think the campaigns or the offices of each congressman or senator will try to ensure additional local support for that. Again, as chief ramsey mentions, 535 members of congress, youre not going to provide them all with their own limos, their own security details. Its not going to happen. Just like the Gabby Giffords shooting in 2011, we had this great discussion. Theres going to be a rachup of security. After nothing happens, nothing happens, nothing happens. It gets forgotten about. Unfortunately, and especially in this case, they are actual fatalities in that shooting. We dont have today except for the shooter. I hate to say it but i think after awhile, this will go by the boards and nothing major will happen. Well see about that. Very quickly, the baseball game will go on tomorrow night. Chief ramsay over at Washington Nationals park here in the district, thousands of people will show up. If you go to the game, they have good security when you go in. You have to go through metal detecters. They have good increase and maybe will increase it slightly in light of what took place. That will be a secure location. Everybody stand by. Up next, calls for unity coming from capitol hill and the white house. Well report the latest when our breaking News Coverage continues. Stay out front with tempurpedic. Our proprietary material automatically adjusts to your weight, shape and temperature. So you sleep deeply, and wake up feeling powerful. Find your exclusive retailer at tempurpedic. Com wearing powerful sunscreen . Yes neutrogena® ultra sheer. No other sunscreen works better or feels so good. Clinically proven helioplex® provides unbeatable uva uvb protection to help prevent early skin aging and skin cancer all with a clean light feel. For unbeatable protection. Its the one. The best for your skin. Ultra sheer®. Neutrogena®. See whats possible. Parts a and b and want more coverage, guess what . You could apply for a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan whenever you want. No enrollment window. No waiting to apply. That means now may be a great time to shop for an aarp Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. Medicare doesnt cover everything. And like all standardized Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans, these help cover some of what medicare doesnt pay. So dont wait. Call now to request your free decision guide. It could help you find the aarp Medicare Supplement plan that works for you. These types of plans have no networks, so you get to choose any doctor who accepts medicare patients. Rates are competitive, and theyre the only plans of their kind endorsed by aarp. Remember these plans let you apply all year round. So call today. Because nows the perfect time to learn more. Go long. Tech when you schedule with safelite autoglass, you get a text when were on our way. You can see exactly when well arrive. Im micah with safelite. Customer thanks for coming, its right over here. Tech giving you a few more minutes for what matters most. Take care. Kids singing safelite® repair, safelite® replace. On capitol hill, the news of todays shooting certainly left members of congress understandably shocked and horrified. But it also led to a rare display of unity and support for the victims. We are united. We are united in our shock, we are united in our anguish. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. Were deeply saddened. Were all concerned for those injured. We will keep them in their prayers and well continue to send them every wish for a quick and foul recovery. Congressman scalise is a friend of mine. Hes a friend and represents many friends of mine back in louisiana. My prayers and those of my colleagues at the state department are with the injured and with those members of Law Enforcement who responded to this mornings attack. Lets go to correspondent ryan nobles up on capitol hill right now. Ryan, you had a chance to speak with another republican congressman who was there on the scene at this baseball practice this morning. Yeah, thats right, wolf. I talked to congressman mark walker. This was after the meeting that was held this morning with all members of the house where they were briefed on exactly what happened on that baseball field. And there was a remarkable show of unity in that meeting. Thats when all the members in congress, republican and democrat, held hands and bowed for a moment of prayer. It was congressman walker who led that prayer. I talked to him about it afterwards. This is what he had to say. Theres some anger right now that this is happening. And as a former pastor who offered counseling over the years, theres a range of emotions. It comes and goes especially with some of the guys realizing how they were a target, how close to death they were today with a gentleman coming all the way from illinois to do the research to know where we were practicing. What about you personally knowing you were that close to being shot . Well, its disconcerting but grateful that i had finished pitching at the time. And you heard congressman walker talking about his experience on that baseball field. He is the starting pitcher for the Republican Team. He just left the field before the shooting started. Its the congressmans feeling had those Capitol Police officers not been there to put an end to this situation that as many as 20 members of congress would be dead today. He obviously, like many of up, continues to to be shaken by what happened this morning. Its an odd place to be here. Usually these members are confident and understand what theyre talking about and theyre prepared to speak about a number of issues, but many of them to a certain extent are at a loss for words. There are 34 republican members on that republican baseball team. 34 and as you point out, maybe 20 or 25, maybe more were at that practice this morning. Art ryan, thanks very much. The congressional baseball game is designed to raise money for important charities especially for kids. It will go on tomorrow night at Washington Nationals park despite todays shooting at the republican practice. A team of democrats was also, by the way, practicing this morning at a different location. Joining us now, democratic congressman dkilde of michigan getting ready for the big game tomorrow night, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities in the washington, d. C. Area. What was your reaction . How did you hear about this. We were stunned. Our coach, mike doyle electrical pennsylvania called us in off the field into the dugout and gave us the news. Of course, we didnt really know what to expect or what was happening. There were some Police Officers there from gal lew det university. We stayed in place for a while. It didnt take very long before the team gathered together, put our arps around one another and prayed for Steve Scalise and the others who were injured. Do you normally have any security when the democratic baseball team, you practice at gal lew det. We do on occasion. We dont have a member of the Senior Leadership who plays on the team. We dont have anybody with protection detail the way mr. Scalise does. Thank god in this case that was the case that he had his detail there because they clearly saved many, many lives. By their acts of heroism. Do you think you guys should come around with some security. We have to look at it particularly when there are a number of members gaggered in one place. It would be tough to provide to every member of congress. When there are a number together, it may be something we have to do. As you know, Bernie Sanders was on the senate floor speaking about this individual, james hongkinson, the 66yearold man who is now dead. He was shot and killed by police. Hes the one who aimed that rifle at all those republican members of congress practicing baseball. Listen to what senator sanders said just a little while ago. I have just been informed that the alleged shooter at the republican baseball practice this morning is someone who apparently volunteered on my president ial campaign. I am sickened by this despicable act. And let me be as clear as i can be. Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society, and i condemn this action in the strongest possible terms. Real change can only come about through nonviolent action and anything else runs counter to our most deeply held american values. I know i speak for the entire country in saying that my hopes and prayers are that representative scalise, congressional staff, and the Capitol Police officers who were wounded make a quick and full recovery. A also want to thank the Capitol Police for their heroic actions to prevent further harm. Shooter was very antirepublican according to his social media posts. He was a big Bernie Sanders supporters during the campaign. Once again according to his social media posts. The level of discourse, the vitriol were seeing in the country right now, how worried are you about ha . Its something we have to address. I was in the meeting this morning with the sergeant at arms and the Capitol Police. Democrats and republicans shared that sentiment that we have to take some measures to have bring the tone of our political debate back to a place that doesnt inflame people who cant control themselves. Theres no place for violence in our political system. But i do think it is true that as a nation, the tone of political speech has gotten beyond the point that you know, that it should be at. We need i think as responsible democrats and republicans to put the country first. Not that this was caused by that. But i think we do have to recognize that the tone of political speech contributes to the tone out in the country. We have to do something about that. The game will go on tomorrow night. Youve heard that. Youll be there i assume representing playing on the democratic team. Ill be there. I think its right the game goes on. This is an act of bipartisanship and i think now transcends that. It will be an act of unity that the republicans and democrats take the field in an act of charity for people less well off. I dont think theres a better way to honor those people who put themselves in harms way and to stand up for Steve Scalise, one of our own and say look, were not going to let this terrible act prevent us from doing good and doing it well together. Steve scalise and four other victims, as well who are in hospitals, local hospitals right now. Good luck tomorrow night. Thanks so much for joining us. Thank you, wolf. Up next, were learning more details right now about the shooter and his motive. Plus, calls for a security overhaul. All that, much more as our special coverage continues. Chevythree years in a row. Car company really. Lets see how quickly you can read through all their awards. 2017 motor trend car of the year. Kelly blue book 2016 best resale value. U. S. News best cars for the money 10 best blah blah blah only about 90 more to go 2017 iihs. Top safety. 2017 north american car of the year thats a lot of awards get 17 below msrp on all Chevy Traverse lt models in stock. Thats over 6,700 on this Chevy Traverse. Find new roads at your local chevy dealer. A cockroach can survive submergede guy. Underwater for 30 minutes. Wow. Yeah, wow. Not getting in today. Not on my watch. Pests never stop trying to get in. We never stop working to keep them out. Terminix. Defenders of home. You myour joints. Thing for your heart. Or your digestion. So why wouldnt you take something for the most important part of you. Your brain. With an ingredient originally found in jellyfish, prevagen is now the number one selling brain Health Supplement in drug stores nationwide. Prevagen. The name to remember. Beneful grain free is so healthy. Oh farmraised chicken thats good chicken. Hm . Here come the accents. Blueberries and pumpkin. Wow. And spinach that was my favorite bite so far. avo new beneful grain free. Out with the grain, in with the farmraised chicken. Healthful. Flavorful. Beneful. Be the you who doesnt cover your moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Be the you who shows up in that dress. Who hugs a friend. Who is done with treatments that dont give you clearer skin. Be the you who controls your psoriasis with stelara® just 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses. Stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections and cancer. Some serious infections require hospitalization. Before treatment, get tested for tuberculosis. Before starting stelara® tell your doctor if you think you have an infection or have symptoms such as fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. Always tell your doctor if you have any signs of infection, have had cancer, if you develop any new skin growths or if anyone in your house needs or has recently received a vaccine. Alert your doctor of new or worsening problems, including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. Some serious allergic reactions can occur. Do not take stelara® if you are allergic to stelara® or any of its ingredients. Most people using stelara® saw 75 clearer skin and the majority were rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. Be the you who talks to your dermatologist about stelara®. The future isnt silver suits anits right now. S, think about it. We can push buttons and make cars appear out of thin air. Find love anywhere. Hes cute. And buy things from, well, everywhere. How . Because our phones have evolved. So isnt it time our networks did too . Introducing americas largest, most reliable 4g lte combined with the most wifi hotspots. Its a new kind of network. Xfinity mobile. Following, a congressional leader and four other people shot and wounded during a Charity Baseball practice in alexandria, virginia, just outside washington, d. C. Here is what we know right now. President trump announced just a little while ago that the gunman has died from injuries he sustained in the shootout with police. Authorities have identified the gunman as 66yearold James Hodgkinson of belleville, illinois, according to a Law Enforcement source. Investigators found antitrump postings on his social media page. He was also a supporter of the president ial democratic president ial candidate cap senator Bernie Sanders. The gunman opened fire on republican lawmakers during the Early Morning baseball practice in alexandria. Lawmakers were getting ready for a charity game tomorrow night. They say the game will go on at Washington Nationals park tomorrow night as planned. Those shot and wounded include the House Majority whip Steve Scalise. President trump today called the congressman a patriot and a fighter. The man who shot congressman Steve Scalise and four others was very active on social media. There were recent posts like this one, for example, on facebook. Trump is a traitor. Trump has destroyed our democracy. Its time to destroy trump and company. In february, he posted this, republicans are the taliban of the usa. Here with us right now, tom fuentes, senior Law Enforcement analyst, former fbi assistant director and the former district of Columbia Police chief and Police Commissioner philadelphia. From sacramento, california, andre gee yarm, former Capitol Police officer and alexandria art roderick former u. S. Marshal. Well, art, let me start with you. Will the social media posts i just read by the shooter, very anti trump threatening violence in those posts. What, if anything, does Law Enforcement do about that . Well, somebody should have notified Law Enforcement that he was making some threats against the president. I mean, that number one is key. And that would involve the secret service. Im sorry, it would have involved the secret service to come out and at least talk to him. I know that usually the secret service when they do that is able to foil a lot of these types of plots to at least let these individuals know that Law Enforcement is looking at them. I think what this individual is looking for and what he didnt find is a real soft target. And you know, during my time in the u. S. Marshals, ive provided assistance on protection details for congressman and senators based on calls from Capitol Police. This is a worst Case Scenario for Capitol Police. Theyve got to start looking at large gatherings of large congress men and senators and figure out with mutual aid with assistance from other Law Enforcement officers how to protect gatherings like these. Because tom fuentes trump, he posted on facebook trump is a traitor. Trump has destroyed our democracy. Its time to destroy trump and company. That sounds like a threat to the president of the United States which is a crime and should have been investigated. That is a threat. I agree completely that should have been reported by somebody to the secret service if they didnt get it directly. It should have been dealt with. Those remarks about destroying the president are chilling. The other question that the secret service should answer is how many of these are they getting a day from all over the country. This could be one of thousands which is a nightmare for them to try to deal with every person posting that kind of stuff. Chief ramsey, you see a threat like that, youre supposed to respond. You cant threaten to kill the president of the United States. Well, thats when you know but there are millions of posts out there in cyber space you cant be aware of every single one of them. Thats why its so important when people read this stuff, dont take it lightly. Report it. So it can be followed up on. Somebody actually saw that post. And probably just said, oh, well, hes just disgruntled or whatever. You got to take these things seriously. You certainly do. Shimon pro cue pez is joining us right now, crime and justice producer. Youve learned more about the shooters criminal record and background. What are you yes, thats right. Were trying to determine his background and see any kind of activity. We have a team doing the same and what weve learned is back in 2006, the alleged shooter was involved in an incident where he was charged with domestic battery, aggravated discharge of a firearm and two counts of battery. It appears, eventually these charges were dismissed. The victim, according to the police report, was his girlfriend. He punched his girlfriend this is what the report said and hit him with a wooden stick of the gun. This is not his girlfriend but a man he was fighting with, his girlfriend. Apparently hodgkinson attacked her and there was a fight and essentially the charges were dismissed. In looking back at other contacts hes had with Law Enforcement, relatively minor. Some traffic violations. There was a dwi charge as well that was eventually also dismissed. But you know, this appears, this incident from 2006 that was eventually dismissed, appears to be the most serious one, wolf. Thanks very much. Let me bring informer u. S. Capitol Police Officer. If someone quotes, republicans are the taliban of the usa, what do they do about that if somebody notices it . They would monitor those threats and investigate them further but i can tell you one thing that they didnt have to deal with during my time with Capitol Police was social media. I cant imagine the number of facebook posts, tweets and instagram, snapchat, you name it. Its a tough field to crack and find those credible threats. Do you think they need to strengthen Capitol Police not just when in washington but when they go back to their districts and states . I think its going to be key. They prioritize protection details as needed but weve seen the vitriol and its going to have to be addressed. Well have to rely more on agencies. Let me play this clip. Tom, i want you to listen, congressman rodney davis, thinking about the shooting and the nature of the political rhetoric were now hearing. I never thought id play a baseball game for charity, go to practice at 6 30 in the morning and have to dodge bull jetets. The republicans and democrats need to use this day today to say, stop, lets Work Together and get things done. We can have our differences but lets not it lead to such hate. Reporter how are you feeling right now . Im angry. I got back to my office after stayi staying out there for too long because it was a crime scene. I went back to my office and i took the chance to come down here because i want to talk to people about what i witnessed and about the effect it should have. Thats why im here bloodied and in my uniform still and not have a chance to clean up because its important that the message gets out, the political rhetoric hate and well let the witnesses describe it but this could be the First Political rhetorical terrorist attack and that has to stop. It has to change. This has to be a breaking point. I asked a question earlier, is this americas breaking point when it comes to the political rhetoric thats become so hateful . Its my breaking point. Thats why im talking to you today. Weve got to end this. Weve got to stop it. I watched my friend and my fellow member, Steve Scalise, lay motionless on the field wondering if he was going to be okay. That is a picture i will never forget. Powerful words from republican congressman rodney davis of illinois. Do you agree with him . I hope its true that they try to have a better effort on the hill to work on the issues. After 9 11, we saw republicans and Democrats Holding hands singing God Bless America but that didnt last forever. This is a moment, chief, that the country can hopefully at least get partially back together. Weve had a lot of moments that didnt necessarily result in any kind of lasting change. I remember the talk about guns after sandy hook. I remember after Gabby Giffords was shot. You can go on and on and on. For a couple months, its there. After a while, it goes away. Hopefully civility is something that everybody begins to adhere to. Yeah, hopefully. Guys, thanks very much. Charles ramsey, andre guillerm, thank you very much. Thats it for me. Ill be back at 5 00 p. M. Eastern in the situation room. Were continuing to follow the breaking news. Our breaking coverage of the shooting of congressman Steve Scalise and four others simply at a baseball practice early this morning getting ready for a big game between republican members of Congress Versus Democrat Members of congress. Tomorrow night, our breaking News Coverage will continue right after a quick break. Be the you who doesnt cover your moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Be the you who shows up in that dress. Who hugs a friend. Who is done with treatments that dont give you clearer skin. Be the you who controls your psoriasis with stelara® just 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses. Stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections and cancer. Some serious infections require hospitalization. Before treatment, get tested for tuberculosis. Before starting stelara® tell your doctor if you think you have an infection or have symptoms such as fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. Always tell your doctor if you have any signs of infection, have had cancer, if you develop any new skin growths or if anyone in your house needs or has recently received a vaccine. Alert your doctor of new or worsening problems, including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. Some serious allergic reactions can occur. Do not take stelara® if you are allergic to stelara® or any of its ingredients. Most people using stelara® saw 75 clearer skin and the majority were rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. Be the you who talks to your dermatologist about stelara®. Theres nothing more than my vacation. Me so when i need to book a hotel, i want someone who makes it easy. Booking. Com gets it. And with a book now, pay later feature, i dont have to pay for anything when i book. Visit booking. Com. Booking. Yeah. Hello, im Brianna Keilar coming to you from a very shaken u. S. Capitol hill right now. Steve scalise is in stable condition with a gunshot wound to the hip. The man who shot him is dead. Scalise is the republican majority whip, one of five people shot in an earlymorning baseball practice just across the Potomac River in a quiet Suburban Park in alexandria, virginia. A lobbyist who coaches the team, a congressional aide and two members of the Capitol Police were also shot. Before police took down the attacker, all of that happening, he had opened fire from