WASHINGTON, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The gunman who shot and wounded U.S. House Republican Whip Steve Scalise and four others at a congressional baseball practice field acted alone, the FBI said Wednesday.
James T. Hodgkinson, who died from injuries after the shooting, did not have any ties to terrorism, Tim Slater, head of the Washington FBI office, said at a news conference.
Scalise was seriously wounded in the shooting and has undergone several surgeries and remains hospitalized, local media reported.
Hodgkinson, a 66-year-old white male from Illinois, opened a barrage of gunfire on June 14 at a congressional baseball practice field in Alexandria, Virginia. He was wounded in the gun battle with police and died later on the day.
Five people were wounded during the shooting, including Scalise, a House staffer, a lobbyist for Tyson Foods and two Capitol police officers.
The gunman turned out to be an unemployed home inspector with a deep animus toward President Donald Trump and other Republicans. He volunteered for Democrat Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign last year.
A Facebook page believed to belong to Hodgkinson includes pictures of Sanders and rants against Trump and Republicans. One of his posts read: "Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It's Time to Destroy Trump & Co."
Sanders immediately denounced the shooter's actions on the day.
