
The gunman who was killed by cops after opening fire on a Republican congressional baseball practice on Wednesday, the president's 71st birthday, was a Trump-hating Democrat and Bernie Sanders supporter with a long history of violence.

James T. Hodgkinson, 66, from Belleville, Illinois, was killed by Capitol Police after firing up to 100 rounds from an assault rifle at a baseball park in Alexandria, Virginia, leaving five injured including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise at 7am on Wednesday.

Scalise's condition worsened throughout the afternoon and was deemed critical by hospital staff after he he was released from emergency surgery on his hip.

Two Capitol Police officers were shot as they bravely returned fire on Hodgkinson while the lawmakers scrambled across the field to safety. Congressional staffer Zachary Barth and lobbyist Matt Mika were also shot but both are expected to recover.

Hodgkinson was a staunch Sanders supporter and campaigned for the left-wing senator to get the Democratic nomination for president last year.

He ranted against President Trump on social media and had previously described The Rachel Maddow Show as his favorite thing on TV.

The married union tradesman threatened to 'destroy' the president, whom he called a 'traitor' on social media - but was not known to Secret Service.

His family said he was distraught over Trump's November election win and revealed that he had been living in Alexandria out of a gym bag and sleeping in his car for the last two months.

His criminal record included a 2006 arrest for punching his female neighbor in the face as she tried to shield his underage daughter from him.

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James T. Hodgkinson (pictured right campaigning against Republicans in 2012) was a hateful Trump opponent who threatened to 'destroy' the president on social media before attacking a GOP baseball practice on Wednesday

Trump hating: FBI agents remove a 'chicken in chief' poster from James Hodgkinson's van. He had been living in the van in Alexandria, Virginia, for at least several weeks after driving there from his home in Illinois

Hodgkinson opened fire on a group of GOP figures from behind the third base dugout at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Virginia, as they practiced for a charity baseball game on Thursday at 7am

According to a police report, Hodgkinson went to the neighbor's home looking for his daughter and found her upstairs.

He dragged her out by the hair but she ran into her neighbor's car. The female neighbor sat in the vehicle in the front seat.

Hodgkinson got access to them, slashing the seatbelt his daughter was wearing as he and his wife pulled her out. He then hit the neighbor in the face, The Washington Post reported, but was never convicted.

His former lawyer, Lyndon Evanko of Belleville, Illinois, said Hodgkinson was 'a pushy little b*****d, an in-your-face kind of guy. He believed what he believed and he wasn't going to take any s**t from anybody.'

Evanko defended Hodgkinson during the neighbor-punching incident.

'He was a bit of a misanthrope,' the lawyer said. 'He came across as a very irascible, angry little man, but not somebody I would expect to do something like this.

'I would have clients I would suspect for doing something like this, but he's not the one I would have pegged for it. He never had a felony. It was all penny-ante stuff.'

Evanko represented Hodgkinson again in 2009, after he was ticketed for doing work without the proper permits.

'Even with that, he had a temper,' Evanko said, quoting him: '"What are they charging me for? I know what I was doing. So what if I didn't have the paperwork?"'

After Hodgkinson was identified as the shooter in Wednesday's attack, his estranged brother told The New York Times that he learned through their sister that he had traveled to Virginia two months ago.

He signed up for a membership at the YMCA opposite the baseball field he attacked but cancelled it this week.

The brother said he believed Hodgkinson phoned his wife Sue in the days before the attack and told her he was coming home because he missed her and their dogs. Former Alexandria mayor Bill Euille admitted meeting the man several times in the town.

'He was a very friendly person, but what I did notice about this gentleman is he'd open up his gym bag and in it, he had everything he owned. He was living out of the gym bag. That, and he sat in the Y’s lobby for hours and hours.

'Outside of myself, I don’t think he knew anyone else in town,' he told The Washington Post, admitting that he also helped him try to find a job in the area after taking pity on him.

Hodgkinson documented his hatred for the president in Facebook and Twitter posts where he threatened to 'destroy Trump & co' and labeled the Republican billionaire a 'traitor'.

Hodgkinson had a lengthy criminal record which includes charges, but no convictions, for DUI, domestic battery, pointing a gun at a relative. He is seen in mugshots in 1992 (left) and 2006 (right)

Hodgkinson was wounded by Capitol Police at the scene and later died of his injuries in hospital

Hodgkinson documented his violent hatred for the president across his various social media pages

Hodgkinson shared numerous Facebook posts against the president, making no secret of his angry Republican hatred

He wrote frequent letters to his local paper in Illinois in which he complained about income inequality and compared the state of the economy to the Great Depression long before President Trump ever launched his political career.

'I have never said “life sucks,” only the policies of the Republicans,' he wrote in one from 2012 where he described his plan to increase the number of tax brackets.

In 2011, he praised Occupy protesters in New York and Boston who he said 'are tired of our do-nothing Congress doing nothing while our country is going down the tubes.'

Hodgkinson's violent tendencies and involvement in Wednesday's attack came as a surprise to people who worked with him on Sanders' 2016 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

One told The Washington Post: 'I met him on the Bernie trail in Iowa, worked with him in the Quad Cities area.

'He was this union tradesman, pretty stocky, and we stayed up talking politics. He was more on the really progressive side of things,' Charles Orear said, adding that Hodgkinson was 'quite mellow'.

A friend of the man spoke outside his home in Belleville, Illinois - 800 miles from where the shooting occurred - to say he was a 'nice guy'.

Despite his hateful social media posts and criminal history, sources told CNN the man was not on the Secret Service's radar.

Hodgkinson's estranged brother revealed that in the days before the shooting, he called his wife Sue (above together) to say he was planning to come home from Virginia because he missed her and their dogs

It is not clear how long Hodgkinson had been in Virginia or when he left his home town before Wednesday's shooting

Hodgkinson's family said he was distraught over Trump's November election win. He traveled to Virginia two months ago and had been living out of a gym bag and sleeping in his car, the former mayor of Alexandria said

Police descended on his home in Belleville, Illinois, which is 800 miles from where the shooting took place

Police rifled through the home on Wednesday afternoon. Hodgkinson's family said he left it two months ago to travel to Virginia

Dale Walsh, a friend of Hodgkinson, said he was 'a nice guy' and expressed his shock at Wednesday's shooting. He spoke outside Hodgkinson's home as local media and police descended on it

Shortly after 7am on Wednesday, he opened fire from behind the third base dugout as the group of GOP figures practiced batting on the field in preparation for a charity baseball game against Democrats which is scheduled for Thursday night.

Florida Rep. Ron DeSantis and Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina spoke with him moments before the shooting.

They told how the shooter approached them and asked if they were Republican or Democrat. He walked away after being told they were members of the GOP, Duncan said.

The pair escaped his bloody rampage and only identified him as the shooter after seeing his photograph in the news.

Two Capitol Police officers who were accompanying Scalise were the only other armed people on the scene. They returned fire with their pistols but were shot themselves.

As bullets flew across the field, the congressmen fled to a dugout and huddled on top of one another, using their belts as makeshift tourniquets to treat the wounds of those who were shot.

Barth, a congressional staffer for Texas Rep. Roger Williams, was shot in the leg but is expected to recover. The two Capitol Police officers, Krystal Griner and David Bailey, are also expected to make a full recovery.

Mika was also injured and is in hospital while Scalise is in critical condition at MedStar Washington Center after undergoing emergency surgery on his hip.

Sen. Rand Paul, who was also there but as not hurt, described the scene as a 'killing field'. Rep. Mark Walker said the gunman seemed intent on murdering 'as many Republicans as possible.'

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was rushed to hospital after being shot in the hip. He was initially expected to recover but his condition worsened and became critical on Wednesday afternoon

The men were practicing at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Virginia, ahead of a charity game on Thursday

Sanders, who expressed his prayers for the victims before learning that the gunman was one of his fans, resisted criticism directed at him at the capitol on Wednesday. His aides stayed between him and reporters milling near the Senate chamber.

In a statement on the Senate floor, the Vermont democratic socialist said in a statement on the Senate floor that he was aware the shooter 'apparently volunteered on my presidential campaign.'

'I am sickened by this despicable act,' he said. '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 he was 'sickened' by the shooting

'Real change can only come about through nonviolent action, and anything else runs against our most deeply held American values.'

The president spoke at a White House press conference at around 11am.

He made a plea for unity and thanked the police and emergency responders involved, making no mention of the gunman other than to confirm his death.

President Trump revealed he had spoken to Scalise's wife to offer her his support and described the injured Whip as a 'true friend' and 'patriot'.

Later in the day, Joe Barton, whose young children were with him at the field, announced that the game would go ahead despite the shooting.

Both he and Democratic Rep. Mike Doyle used the occasion as an example of the angry hatred between Republicans and Democrats which is becoming more commonplace.

'We need to take a step back. I think the internet, twitter and all the instantaneous of the news cycle has made it more impersonal and members flying back to their districts every weekend, very few people live up here. It is different climate today than it was In 1985. Part of it is technology and part of it is how politics has evolved,' Rep. Barton said.

Scalise was shot in the hip and taken to hospital by air ambulance shortly after the attack. Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks tried to stop the bleeding from his wound as Sen. Paul, a trained doctor, cut his baseball uniform to examine the injury.

Scalise was on the field when he was shot but was able to drag himself to safety in the dugout, where the other men were hiding, as the two Capitol Police who had accompanied him for the practice exchanged gunfire.

Trump pleads for unity after GOP baseball shooting as Donald Jr. says attack proves why jokes about his father's assassination AREN'T funny At a press conference at The White House on Wednesday, President Trump thanked the police and first responders who attended the shooting The president pleaded for unity at a White House press conference to address an attack on his GOP colleagues on Wednesday. Speaking hours after leaders including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and four others were injured by gunman James Hodgkinson, Trump said: 'We are stronger when we are unified and when we work together for the common good.' Trump referred to the gunman once to confirm his death, describing him only as 'the assailant'. He devoted the rest of his speech to praising the Capitol Police and emergency responders who attended the attack. 'Melania and I are grateful for their heroism and praying for the swift recovery of all victims. Congressman Scalise is a friend and a very good friend, He is a patriot and a fighter and he will recover from this assault. 'Steve, I want you to know, you have the prayers not only of the entire city but of an entire nation and, frankly, the entire world. America is praying for you and America is praying for all of the victims of this shooting. I have spoken with Steve's wife Jennifer and I pledged to her our full and absolute support. Anything she needs, we are with her and the entire Scalise family. 'I have also spoken with Chief Matthew Verderosa (of the Capitol Police), he's doing a fantastic job, to express our sympathies for his wounded officers and to express my admiration for their officers. They perform a challenging job with incredible skill and their sacrifice makes democracy possible. 'We also commend the brave first responders from Alexandria Fire and Rescue who rushed to the scene. Everyone on that field is a public servant - our courageous police, our aides, and our dedicated members of congress who represent our people. 'We can all agree that we are blessed to be Americans and that our children deserve to grow up in a nation of safety and peace,' he said. Donald Jr. had an angrier public response. He re-tweeted a post which read: 'Events like today are EXACTLY why we took issue with NY elites glorifying the assassination of our President.' He was referring to New York's Public Theatre and its current production of Julius Caesar in which the doomed emperor is portrayed as his father. The play has sparked outrage and accusations that its directors are glorifying violence against the president. It comes after the comedian Kathy Griffin's shocking participation in a photo-shoot in which she appeared to be holding a fake representation of the president's severed head. She apologized for the stunt after receiving angry backlash. Advertisement

Democratic Rep. Mike Doyle (L) and Rep. Rep. Joe Barton (R) vowed to carry on with Thursday's scheduled game despite the shooting. Barton choked back tears as he told how he sheltered with his young sons as the shooter sprayed the field with bullets

Texas Rep. Roger Williams (above) was not shot but was injured in the chaos as he tried to flee. One of his staffers suffered a gunshot wound to the leg

Williams is seen being taken to hospital after the shooting which took place as the men practiced batting at 7am

Rep. Williams gave a tearful speech at the US Capitol later in the day. Hobbling in on crutches after spraining his ankle as he dove into the dugout, he paid tribute to the police officers who were there,saying: 'They saved all of us out there, there is no question of it'

Michigan Rep. Mike Bishop earlier described how one man – thought to be part of Scalise’s Capitol Police protection detail – stood his ground to return fire as the congressmen and at least one of their children dove for cover in a dugout and Scalise dragged himself across the field after being hit, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

He told CBS Detroit: ‘As we were standing here this morning, a gunman walked up to the fence line and just began to shoot. I was standing at home plate and he was in the third base line. He had a rifle that was clearly meant for the job of taking people out, multiple casualties, and he had several rounds and magazines that he kept unloading and reloading.'

He said: ‘The only reason why any of us walked out of this thing, by the grace of God, one of the folks here had a weapon to fire back and give us a moment to find cover.'

'We were inside the backstop and if we didn’t have that cover by a brave person who stood up and took a shot themselves, we would not have gotten out of there and every one of us would have been hit — every single one of us.'

'He was coming around the fence line and he was looking for all of us who had found cover in different spots. But if we didn’t have return fire right there, he would have come up to each one of us and shot us point-blank.'

The group was practicing for a charity game which is due to take place on Thursday at Nationals Park when they were attacked. Three men escaped and took shelter in an apartment building nearby.

Another witness, Marty Lavor, dove on top of a congressman. He told CNN that after the gunman's first shot, there was a break in the gunfire but it began shortly afterwards.

Republican Rep. Mo Brooks was also there but was not hurt. He described using his belt as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding on Scalise's leg.

A man who was injured in the leg receives treatment at the scene. Some of those hurt were not shot but suffered injuries as they tried to escape the field

Rep. Mo Brooks appeared emotional as he spoke on the phone moments after the shooting. He helped give first aid to those shot

Scalise (left), congressional staffer Zachary Barth (center) and lobbyist Matt Mika (right) were all shot

Speaking to FM Talk 1065 moments after the shooting, he told how the group was practicing batting when he suddenly saw the shooter.

'Suddenly there's this face. I noticed the guy's got a rifle and he's shooting at us,' he said.

US Capitol Police Officer David Bailey is being hailed as a hero for returning fire on the gunman with his pistol despite being injured himself

As he took shelter with others in the group, which also included Rep. Gary Palmer, Brooks said he watched Scalise crawl to them as the police exchanged gunfire with pistols.

'He was dragging his body away from second base to get away from the shooter. He was shot in the hip. I think it was not a life-threatening wound. ... There was no exit wound I could see.'

'There was a blood trail about 10 to 15 yards long from where he was shot to wear he crawled to right field,' he told CNN.

Brooks caught a brief glimpse of the shooter and described him as a white, middle-aged male. He said he described him as being 'a little on the chubby side' but not obese. No more information about him is being offered by police.

Scalise, as a member of the House leadership, was the only one in the group who had been accompanied by a Capitol Police security detail.

Sen. Paul, who was not hurt, said that without the armed officers, all of those targeted would have died.

'Had they not been there, it would have been a massacre. As terrible as it is, it could have been a lot worse.

'Had it not been for them, we would have been at the mercy of the shooter and he had a lot of ammo. All we would have had was baseball bats.' The Capitol Hill police cannot get enough praise for really saving everyone's life out there,' he said, adding of the gunman: 'He would have shot anybody who ran out.'

Ohio Republican Rep. Brad Robert Wenstrup, a doctor and an Army Reserve officer, was on the scene and helped treat the wounded before paramedics arrived.

'I felt like I was back in Iraq, but without my weapon,' he told Fox News. Arizona Rep. Senator Jeff Flake described watching as the gunman sprayed bullets on the field, where Scalise lay on the ground.

The men's kit lay abandoned on the field as the scene around the baseball field was taped off

A Twitter user posted this picture of what appeared to be a gunshot hole in a window as he took cover in the YMCA in Alexandria

The streets surrounding the scene in Alexandria, Virginia were blocked off early Wednesday as first responders secured the area

Sen. Jeff Flake is pictured walking away from the chaotic scene outside the stadium park

As his Capitol Hill protection officers exchanged fire, he said the group were helpless. 'I wanted to get to Steve Scalise, laying out there in the field, but while there were bullets flying overhead, I couldn't. He was laying out thee motionless,' he told ABC.

Scalise's office initially said while he was undergoing emergency surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center that he was in 'stable condition.'

'Prior to entering surgery, the Whip was in good spirits and spoke to his wife by phone,' a spokesperson said.He is grateful for the brave actions of U.S. Capitol Police, first responders, and colleagues.'

Later, the hospital where he is being treated announced that his condition had worsened.

The two Capitol Police officers who were shot are both in a 'good condition' and are expected to recover.

All who have spoken since the attack said they were saved by having two trained doctors, including Wenstrup, on the team.

He administered immediate aid to Scalise before handing over to Brooks while he cut off his clothing. ‘We were very fortunate to have a physician on the team.’

Sen. Paul is a trained opthalmologist. He said he was unable to get to Scalise because he was separated by part of the field and a fence while the active situation was ongoing.

One local resident was in his apartment with his wife when they were woken by the gunshots. They sheltered three members of the team after seeing them run for their lives from the field.

'We were able to get them in a safe space for a couple of minutes. They were pretty shaken up,' he said.

President Trump issued a statement shortly after the shooting to say he was 'deeply saddened' and was monitoring the situation closely.

'Tomorrow, we play ball': Republicans and Democrats vow to continue with charity game after shooting Dem. Rep. Mike Doyle (L) and Rep. Rep. Joe Barton (R) vowed to carry on with Thursday's game The baseball game which congressmen were practicing for when they were shot on Wednesday morning will go ahead despite the attack. Rep. Joe Barton sheltered in a dugout with his son as gunman James Hodgkinson opened fire on his team on Wednesday at 7am. At a press conference later in the day, he revealed that the charity game would go ahead at Nationals Park tomorrow. 'We're playing the game tomorrow. We're united not as Republicans and Democrats but as United States Representatives. We ask the American people to pray for those who were shot,' he said, adding firmly: 'It will be play ball tomorrow at 7.05pm.' He was joined by Democrat Mike Doyle who echoed his sentiments and stressed the need for bi-partisanship. 'We can change the mood in this country so that people don't get filled up with this kind of hatred,' Doyle said. Both congressmen used the opportunity to lament the growing animosity in Washington and spoke nostalgically about times when Republicans and Democrats were kinder to one another. 'Representatives aren't treated like people anymore. I can assure you, everyone of our Representatives is a person... sometimes, though we don't like to show it, we take it personally.' Republican Barton choked up as he relived how his young son Jack was with him at the baseball field when the gunman opened fire. 'Jack had 25 dads out there today looking out for him just as much as me,' he said. One was Rep. Roger Williams who sprained his ankle trying to shield the child and rush him into the dugout as Hodgkinson opened fire. Rep. Barton was at the field with his young son (left). They were able to take shelter in the dugout with the other congressmen. The pair are pictured after the shooting after flocking to the US Capitol Advertisement

Sen. Flake (left) called Scalise's wife to inform her her husband had been shot. After the shooting, many of the men went straight to the Capitol still wearing their baseball gear including Rep. Rodney Davis (center) and Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (right)

'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,' the president said.

Vice President Mike Pence cancelled a scheduled speech in order to meet with the president at The White House.

By mid-morning, the president had canceled a planned 3:00 p.m. event at the Department of Labor that was to have focused on his apprenticeship initiative.

All members of the House of Representatives were summoned to a private 11:15 a.m. briefing about the shooting investigation, and all votes were canceled for the day.

Scalise is the Republican majority whip in the House of Representatives – the congressman responsible for counting votes and maintaining party discipline.

The Louisianan, a 51-year-old 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.

Scalise came under fire in 2014 for remarks he made in 2002 at a conference run by a group that he later learned was a white supremacist organization.

President Trump said Scalise would make a full recovery. He paid tribute to him as a 'true friend and patriot'

The infamous former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, who founded the group, blasted Scalise as a 'sellout' for apologizing.

The congressional baseball game is an annual tradition pitting members of the Democratic and Republican parties against each other. The game is set to take place on Thursday at Nationals Park.

Democratic members of Congress canceled their own baseball practice on Wednesday morning after news broke about the shooting. Many of those lawmakers gathered to pray for their political opponents in a concrete dugout before leaving under the guard of a Capitol Police escort.

As talk in Washington turned to the political ramifications of a high-profile shooting that affected lawmakers, fault lines began to emerge.

'This kind of mindless violence must stop,' California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein said in a statement that hinted at her longstanding support for gun-control laws.

'I'm dedicated to doing all I can to putting an end to these senseless tragedies.'

On the other side of the aisle, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said he doesn't know who the shooter is 'or how he got a gun.'

'We've got plenty of gun laws,' Graham told a Bloomberg reporter. 'I own a gun. I don't go around shooting people with it.'

'People get shot, run over by cars, stabbed, it's just a crazy world,' he said. 'If we had that debate it'd end like it always ends. We're not going to tell law-abiding people they can't own a gun because of some nut-job.'

'One thing I hope we'll all do is just watch our words a little bit,' Graham added. 'Knock down the rhetoric. That'd be a good thing.'

In corners of the U.S. Capitol where business resumed as usual, the shooting seemed to hit home.

'Several members of this committee were there,' Republican Rep. Ed Royce of California declared as he convened a hearing featuring Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

'This is a sad day for our country.'

'We still don't have all the details,' said Royce, 'but we do know that there are those who want to use acts of violence to create chaos, to disrupt our democracy.'

'The American people will not let them win.'

There was heightened security in the capitol after the shooting on Wednesday morning