James T. Hodgkinson/Facebook(ALEXANDRIA, Va.) — The suspected shooter in Wednesday’s incident in Virginia is 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson of Belleville, Illinois, according to multiple law enforcement sources.
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday morning during remarks about the shooting that the suspect is now dead.
“The assailant has now died from his injuries,” Trump said, not using Hodgkinson’s name.
Hodgkinson’s wife told ABC News that her husband had been living in Alexandria, Virginia, for the past two months. Hodgkinson left his job as a “home inspector, mold/air quality tester,” according to his Facebook page.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., spoke on the Senate floor Wednesday, confirming reports that Hodgkinson supported him during the election.
“I have just been informed that the alleged shooter at the Republican baseball practice is someone who apparently volunteered on my presidential campaign. I am sickened by this despicable act. 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,” Sanders said.
Hodgkinson has an extensive history of traffic violations and petty offenses in St. Clair County, Illinois, spanning from 1989 to 2011, according to online county court records. The vast majority of the cases are traffic violations and nearly all of them were later dismissed. The most recent conviction on his record was for a “petty offense” of failure to obtain an electrical contractor’s license in 2009.
St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois has been contacted for information about Hodgkinson by authorities investigating the shooting in Alexandria, an official with the sheriff’s office told ABC News. Calls to the Belleville Police Department were not immediately returned.
Around 7 a.m. ET at least four people, including Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., were injured when a shooter opened fire at a baseball field in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood. Republican lawmakers were practicing for Thursday’s annual charity congressional baseball game.
A law enforcement source told ABC News that the suspect was injured and transported to George Washington University Hospital. Authorities later confirmed at a press conference that the suspect is in custody.
Police said the suspect’s motive is unknown at this point. Police described the scene as “stable.”
Authorities confirmed that Capitol Police officers were on scene when the shooting happened and exchanged gunfire with the shooter. Victims have been transported to local hospitals, police said.
The FBI has taken control of the crime scene, which is located some 7 miles away from the White House in Washington, D.C.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is currently conducting urgent traces on two firearms — a rifle and a handgun — from the scene.
Scalise is undergoing surgery and his injury is not life-threatening, his office said in a statement.
“Prior to entering surgery, the Whip was in good spirits and spoke to his wife by phone,” the statement said. “He is grateful for the brave actions of U.S. Capitol Police, first responders, and colleagues. We ask that you keep the Whip and others harmed in this incident in your thoughts and prayers.”
Two other individuals who were injured have been identified as Zach Barth, a legislative correspondent in the office of Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, and Matt Mika, the director of government relations at Tyson Foods.
Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.