Chuck Fleischmann
Note: This story was updated at 10:05 a.m.
U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann, a Republican whose district includes Oak Ridge, is okay after a shooting that injured five people during a Wednesday morning practice for an annual charity baseball game in Alexandria, Virginia, officials said.
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and two Capitol police officers were among those hit, according to WJLA, an ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C. The others who were shot sometime around 7:15 a.m. Wednesday reportedly included a staffer and a lobbyist. Scalise is reported to be in stable condition at George Washington University Hospital.
Conner Ingram, spokesperson for Fleischmann, said the congressman was at the practice and is okay.
“I have been told by staff that he is okay,” said Alan Beauchamp, a close friend of Fleischmann’s who has worked on his campaigns since 2009. “He is safe, from what I understand.”
They’re in lockdown now, said Beauchamp, who hasn’t been able to speak directly to the congressman yet.
Fleischmann told a USA Today Network reporter based in Washington, D.C., that the practice session was almost over when the shooting occurred.
“I heard a bang, and I thought it sounded like a gun,” Fleischmann said, according to a report published by the Knoxville News Sentinel. “I never saw a shooter. I heard him. I was close to the damn thing. Some of our people have been hit. This is horrible. I got bloody running and jumping into the dugout.”
Other members of Congress were at the practice at Alexandria Park in Alexandria, Virginia, and some have talked to reporters, including Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama and Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona. Brooks, who witnessed the shooting, said at least 50 shots were fired from a semi-automatic rifle, according to WJLA.
Fleischmann estimated there were 50 to 60 people at the practice, including House members, senators and their staffs, according to the USA Today Network.
Beauchamp said he has been at the charity baseball game practice in the past, and it’s about 15-20 minutes outside of Washington, D.C. The Republicans were practicing for a charity baseball game between Democrats and Republicans scheduled for Thursday night. It’s an annual charity event that’s been held for years, Beauchamp said. Teams practice early in the morning, and the game is played at Washington Nationals ballpark in D.C.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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