Rep. Kelly praises Capitol Police 'warriors': They were not retreating

Mississippi U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly, reportedly the first target of a gunman who opened fire at a congressional baseball team practice on Wednesday, praised Capitol Police as "warriors, absolute warriors" and said they saved many lives by engaging the shooter.

"They were heroic in engaging this guy," said Kelly. "But for their actions and their bravery and them being warriors, many, many more people would have been killed or hurt. We were very fortunate."

Kelly, a combat veteran, was playing third base when the gunman opened fire from the third-base side of the field. The gunman wounded five people, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a congressional aide, a lobbyist and two Capitol Police officers before he was shot and later died.

Kelly said he was uncomfortable discussing all the details of the shootings, but had given details to police. Kelly's colleagues said the gunman fired first at Kelly, and that Kelly shouted "shooter" to warn others.

Rep. Mark Walker, R-North Carolina, said: "It's by the grace of God that he missed Trent Kelly. He fired at Trent first — third base, from the dugout."

"It only takes a split second," Kelly said. "I processed it pretty quickly. Everybody around — all the congressmen, the Capitol Police — knew or quickly learned that we were under attack and under fire and they acted appropriately and got out of the range and got to cover as quickly as they could except for the Capitol Police, who were steadily engaging this guy ... They were not retreating. They were protecting those that they were paid to protect in a heroic fashion."

The shooting in a quiet Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C., was "just one of those things you don't expect in that environment," Kelly said, "but it happened."

Kelly later Wednesday attended a Small Business Committee hearing.

"I won't allow bad actors — or cowards is what I call them — who would shoot at unarmed people instead of getting into a real fight, I won't let them intimidate me or Congress or this nation," Kelly said. "We will continue to represent the people regardless of their attempts to rule us through intimidation."

Kelly and Rep. Steven Palazzo are the only members of the Mississippi delegation who play on the team. Palazzo skipped practice for a previously scheduled phone interview with SuperTalk radio.

"It's surreal we are having this conversation," Palazzo said in a phone interview from Washington. "My good friend, my fellow Congressman Trent Kelly, who's been awarded two Bronze Stars and served in Iraq on two different occasions — someone was shooting at him ... But this was a baseball field in a quiet suburb at 7 in the morning, when people are walking, jogging, walking dogs, drinking coffee."

Witnesses and news reports said the gunman walked up to the third base side of the field and opened fire, first at Kelly. The gunman, identified as James T. Hodgkinson, a 66-year-old home inspector from Illinois, missed Kelly, then shot Scalise. Two Capitol Police officers on Scalise's security detail, themselves wounded, shot Hodgkinson, who later died from his wounds.

Palazzo said: "If it wasn't for the Capitol Police being there, we would be talking about dead members of Congress and staff — my friends, people I respect ... I just thank God no one else was more seriously injured."

Rep. Gregg Harper, a fellow Mississippi Republican, said he was outside near the steps of the Capitol when Kelly and others returned from the baseball field. He said he talked to Kelly.

“Obviously, it was a very emotional time for him,’’ said Harper, noting that Kelly was close to the shooter. “I’m sure with his battlefield experience and training he took the evasive actions that he could and we’re thankful that he’s OK.”

Kelly, a colonel in the Mississippi Army National guard, is a combat veteran who has served 32 years in the military and been awarded a Combat Action Badge in addition to the two Bronze Stars and other commendations. He saw active duty in Desert Storm in 1990 and deployments to Iraq in 2005 and 2009-2010. He represents Mississippi's northern 1st Congressional District.

Congressional Republicans and Democrats and staffers face off in an annual baseball game to raise money for charity. The other members of Mississippi's delegation reported they and their staffs were safe Wednesday morning and had not been at the practice.

Last year, the game raised about $500,000 for D.C.-area charities, Palazzo said. He said Wednesday that plans are for the game to be played as scheduled on Thursday.

"We are playing tomorrow night," Palazzo said. "... I appreciate Speaker (Paul) Ryan's comments, about unity, and an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us, Democrat or Republican."

Palazzo said he was disturbed by reports that the gunman was targeting Republican lawmakers, and has been disturbed by the recent tone of partisan debate and division.

"This hate, this division, it has to stop," Palazzo said. Democrats and Republicans want the same things for our children and our country ... Social media especially has gotten so bad. Plus things like someone holding up what's supposed to be the bloody head of our president. I've just never seen things like this in my lifetime."

More: Lawmaker apologizes for saying La. leaders should be 'lynched' for removing Confederate monuments

Harper, chairman of the House Administration Committee that oversees the Capitol Police, said of the shooting, "Something is greatly wrong with what's happening in our country."

"Had there not been the presence of those two officers and their heroic actions, I believe this would have been a much greater tragedy and event than it was ... Perhaps we need a return to civility where we discuss and debate issues and not make personal attacks."

Palazzo said he believes playing the game on Thursday is important for the message it will send.

"We can work together, and we can and do get along," Palazzo said. "We work together, play together, eat together and our families get together."

Palazzo described the mood on Capitol Hill on Wednesday as "solemn." He said floor votes were cancelled, but committee hearings and other meetings were continuing. Palazzo said he and others are still trying to absorb what happened. He recalled that he was in freshman orientation for Congress in 2011 when Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others were shot at a constituent meeting in Arizona.

"You try to have somewhat of situational awareness as you do things," Palazzo said. "But this was a baseball field, in a suburb at 7 in the morning. You never expect something like that."

Kelly said he “absolutely’’ plans to show up ready to play in Thursday’s game.

“We cannot let these folks win by trying to intimidate us,” he said. “We must continue to do the people’s work.’’

Contact Geoff Pender at 601-961-7266 or gpender@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter. Follow Deborah Barfield Berry on Twitter: @dberrygannett

I am safe. We continue to pray for my colleagues and their families. — Trent Kelly (@RepTrentKelly) June 14, 2017

I am safe and fine. Please pray for my colleagues and any staff and their families who were involved in this morning's shooting. — Cong. Steven Palazzo (@CongPalazzo) June 14, 2017

My staff and I are safe. We are praying for Rep. Scalise, the staffer and the two Capitol police officers who were injured this morning. — Gregg Harper (@GreggHarper) June 14, 2017