Gunman shooting at baseball practice field dead: Trump

Washington June 15 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said the gunman shooting on Wednesday morning at a congressional baseball practice field in Virginia was dead from serious injuries.

Before Trump s remarks from the White House the US authorities said the gunman had been identified as 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson from Illinois Xinhua news agency reported.

Steve Scalise a House Republican leader as well as two law enforcement officials and one aide to a House representative from Texas were wounded in the shooting as they were playing baseball game with others. Trump said all of them are in stable condition.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the crime said Trump calling for unity after the shooting.

Hodgkinson owns a home inspection business in the state of Illinois according to the authorities. His home inspection license expired in November 2016 and was not renewed a Washington Post report quoted Virginia state records as saying.

Hodgkinson was charged in April 2006 with battery and aiding damage to a motor vehicle according to online records in St Clair County Illinois. The charges were dismissed records show.

However it s too early to tell if Republican members of congress were targeted by the gunman FBI agent Tim Slater said at a press conference.

--IANS
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