The annual game set to take place at the Nationals Park Thursday night will go on as planned, despite a grim baseball practice in Alexandria, where a gunman opened fire injuring Rep. Steve Scalise and four others. The announcer's mention of Scalise, the House majority whip who was critically wounded in the attack Wednesday, brought the masses to their feet.
Donald Trump made an unannounced visit along with first lady Melania Trump and White House physician Ronny Jackson to the hospital Wednesday night hours after Scalise's first surgery following the shooting at a Republican team charity baseball practice at the Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Va.
"He remains in critical condition, but has improved in the last 24 hours", reads a statement provided Thursday by MedStar Washington Hospital Center, the medical facility now treating Scalise. He's still in critical condition Thursday at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
The shooter was identified as James T Hodgkinson, a 66-year-old home inspector from IL who had several minor run-ins with the law in recent years and belonged to a Facebook group called "Terminate the Republican Party".
Also wounded was former congressional aide Matt Mika, who now works for Tyson Foods in its Washington office.
Later, the crowd burst into applause as Capitol Police Officer David Bailey - who was injured as he pursued the shooter - hobbled to the mound on crutches and tossed the ceremonial first pitch.
"They saved a lot of lives", the president said. "We now have no evidence to suggest that the purchases were not lawful".
The FBI recovered a cellphone, computer, and camera from Hodgkinson's van and was examining them for evidence, the statement said.
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Brooks Koepka , Tommy Fleetwood and Brian Harman were at 67, with Patrick Reed and Adam Hadwin in the group at 68. Most freaky about this day was that as many amateurs broke par as top 10 players in the world - two apiece.
According to CNN, President Trump visited Rep. Steven Scalise in the hospital.
Scalise "continues his very fearless fight ... but it's been much more hard than people even thought at the time".
"I hope he's in good enough shape to watch, because he'll certainly feel good about what he sees", Flake said.
The Democrats' manager, Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., reminded his team to "Clear your schedules".
Players from both Democrat and Republican teams observe a moment of silence at second base before the Congressional Baseball Game on Thursday.
Many lawmakers in both parties called for unity after the shooting.
"It'll sure be a different game without him there", said Representative Cedric Richmond, the starting pitcher for the Democratic team and a longtime friend of Scalise from their days as political adversaries in the Louisiana state legislature. We hold the same opinion in this attack.
"How dare they say such a thing?"
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