BREAKING: GOP Baseball Practice Shooter Identified – Guess Who He Campaigned For? (VIDEO)

by Cassy Fiano | June 14, 2017 12:54 pm

The person responsible for opening fire on a group of Republicans, their aides and Capitol police has been identified. James T. Hodgkinson, 66, is the man suspected of shooting House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, along with an aide and several Capitol police officers. And who he campaigned for[1] during the presidential primaries doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

[2]

Hodgkinson campaigned for Bernie Sanders last year, according to Charles Orear, a restaurant manager who says that he became friendly with Hodgkinson when they volunteered together for the Sanders campaign. Orear said that, while Hodgkinson was passionate about his politics and his progressive beliefs, he never showed any signs of being violent.

Authorities have begun investigating Hodgkinson, whose social media postings included many anti-Trump postings.

JUST IN: Virginia shooter’s social media includes anti-Trump postings https://t.co/oPSs17MMVG[3] https://t.co/vxx26BDLwl[4]

— CNN (@CNN) June 14, 2017[5]

Rep. Ron DeSantis also saw a picture of Hodgkinson and positively identified him as the man who approached him before the shooting began and asked if the people on the field were Republicans or Democrats.

For his part, Sanders strongly condemned the shooting in a statement this morning. “I have just been informed that the alleged shooter at the Republican baseball practice this morning is someone who apparently volunteered on my presidential campaign,” he said. “I am sickened by this despicable act. And 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.”

“Real change can only come about through non-violent action, and anything else runs counter to our most deeply held American values,” Sanders continued. “I know I speak for the entire country in saying that my hopes and prayers are that Rep. Scalise, congressional staff, and the Capitol police officers that were wounded make a quick and full recovery. I also want to thank Capitol Police for their heroic actions to prevent further harm.”

.@SenSanders[6] statement that alleged shooter was presidential campaign volunteer: "I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms." pic.twitter.com/iLjxDdnftN[7]

— CSPAN (@cspan) June 14, 2017[8]

Donald Trump, during his address to the nation after the shooting, said that Hodgkinson has died.