The Daily Brief: Special on the Shooting

The Daily Brief: Special on the Shooting

1. Trump speaks on congressional baseball shooting: 'We are strongest when we are unified' - Business Insider

In his White House statement, Trump praised Scalise as a "friend," a "patriot," and a "fighter," saying he would make a full recovery and that Washington, the country, and the world were praying for him.

Trump also praised the police officers who were wounded at the scene.

"Many lives would have been lost without the heroic actions of the two Capitol Police officers who took down the gunman despite sustaining gunshot wounds during a very, very brutal assault," Trump said. "Melania and I are grateful for their heroism and praying for the swift recovery of all victims."

He added that the police's "sacrifice makes democracy possible."

"Everyone on that field is a public servant: our courageous police, our congressional aides, who work so tirelessly behind the scenes with enormous devotion, and our dedicated members of Congress, who represent our people," Trump said. "We may have our differences, but we do well in times like these to remember that everyone who serves in our nation's capital is here because, above all, they love our country.

"We are strongest when we are unified," he added.

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- Father, thank You for these words of unity from President Trump. We pray our nation would be unified against violence to achieve political power. Expose those who are sympathetic to this approach so that they may be rendered powerless.

- The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. (Matthew 13:41)

2. Hero cops kill white Illinois man, 66, who opened fire on Republican lawmakers- Daily Mail

The gunman who opened fire on a Republican congressional baseball practice session this morning before being killed by cops has been identified as a Trump-hating Bernie Sanders supporter.

Sixty-six-year-old James T. Hodgkinson 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 four injured including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

Hodgkinson was a staunch Bernie Sanders supporter and campaigned for the left-wing senator to get the Democratic nomination for president last year. The union tradesman, threatened to 'destroy' the president and his administration on social media.

He was shot by two U.S. Capitol Police officers who were accompanying Scalise to Eugene Simpson Stadium Park for the scheduled baseball practice ahead of Thursday night's charity match.

The officers were both wounded as they used their pistols to shoot at Hodgkinson while the congressmen fled to a dugout.

Zachary Barth, a congressional staffer for Texas Rep. Roger Williams, was shot in the leg but is expected to recover. The two Capitol Police officers who were hurt are also expected to make a full recovery.

At a press conference at The White House at 11.30am, President Trump thanked the Capitol Police officers for their bravery and shared his well-wishes for the victims.

'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.

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- Father, thank You for the swift action of the Capitol Police. We pray healing and comfort for all those injured in this attack. We ask protection over all of our leaders, in Jesus Name.

- I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. (Leviticus 26:6)

3. Belleville suspect killed in congressional shootout belonged to anti-GOP groups - Belleville News-Democrat

The shooter who was killed during gunfire at practice for a congressional baseball game Wednesday morning was from Belleville.

The shooter was James T. Hodgkinson of Belleville, who belonged to a number of anti-Republican groups, including one called "Terminate the Republican Party."

President Donald Trump said Hodgkinson died during gunfire exchanged with congressional security workers.

Hodgkinson is a member of a number of anti-Republican groups on Facebook, including one called "Terminate the Republican Party."

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- Father, we pray against the promulgation of lies and slander that incited this violence. We pray for James Hodgkinson's eternal soul, for his repentance and remorse towards You in his final moments.

- Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. (Romans 1:28-29)

4. Rand: 'Nobody Would Have Survived' Baseball Shooting Without Capitol Police, 'It Would Have Been a Massacre Without Them' - Breitbart

On Wednesday's broadcast of CNN's "New Day," Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) credited Capitol Police officers on the scene for preventing the shooting at a Congressional baseball practice from turning into a "massacre."

Rand said, "I can tell you, that I think with absolute certainty, nobody would have survived without the Capitol Hill Police. They saved everybody's life. Incredibly brave and deserve everyone's praise, because, with this guy, who knows what his - how heavily armed he was, but nobody else had a weapon. So, he was just killing everyone - he would have -- They deserve our gratitude for saving - it would have been a massacre without them."

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- Father, we pray for the Capitol Hill Police, Secret Service, and all the law enforcement surrounding our government officials. Give them wisdom to quickly identify and diffuse threats.

- Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. (Psalm 90:15)

5. Man who opened fired at congressional baseball practice dead; GOP Whip in stable condition - Alexandria, VA News

The man who opened fire on members of Congress at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia, in a "brutal assault" has died from his injuries, President Donald Trump said in a televised statement from the White House.

The shooting early Wednesday morning as Republican members of Congress practiced for an upcoming charity baseball game left five people injured, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, two Capitol Police officers, a congressional staffer and an executive with Tyson Foods.

Shortly after the news conference, law enforcement officials confirmed the identity of the shooter as 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson, of Belleville, Illinois. Hodgkinson, who formerly ran a home-inspection business, had reportedly been living in Alexandria for a few months.

Scalise, the No. 3 House Republican, was shot in the hip and taken to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where he is in stable condition, according to a statement released by his office. According to the statement, Scalise "was in good spirits" and spoke to his wife by phone before entering surgery.

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- Thank You Father, that Scalise will recover from his injuries. We also pray for the family of the shooter, James Hodgkinson as they undoubtedly are trying to understand why he committed this violent action.

- Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you. (Proverbs 3:29)