A mechanic at an auto fix shop in Alexandria, Va., said the gunman who opened fire last week during a congressional GOP baseball practice ranted about President Trump the day before.
Scalise is from Louisiana and is the No. 3 House Republican.
The FBI says a gunman acted alone when he shot and wounded a top House Republican and four other people on a northern Virginia baseball field.
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But the plan, unveiled on the eve of the first anniversary of Britain's Brexit referendum, has been heavily criticized. There are categories of people whose status may remain unclear, such as children, carers, students and Irish citizens.
Tim Slater, an assistant FBI director who has been heading the investigation, gave a briefing on its status more than a week after James Hodgkinson opened fire at a baseball field where Republicans were practicing for a charity baseball game. MedStar Washington Hospital Center said in a statement that Scalise's condition has been upgraded to fair and that he "continues to make good progress". There's no indication of the significance of the list, Slater said, declining to specify the lawmakers' party affiliations or names. Franks added that "it's clear that (the shooting) was premeditated", but he declined to confirm the existence of a possible list, citing the ongoing investigation. Alexandria Police Chief Michael Brown lauded the heroic actions of Officer Nicole Battaglia and two other officers who were the first to arrive at a field where GOP congressmen were practicing for the game.
He had more than 200 rounds of ammunition in an Alexandria storage unit that he visited more than 43 times between April and June, sometimes twice a day, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Hodgkinson had been in email contact with the two Democratic senators from IL, he said. Officials also are running a trace on two weapons, including a rifle and a handgun. Authorities believe he was living out of a van since leaving IL in March; his brother said he was in the capital region to protest President Trump. Hodgkinson was mortally wounded by police. Slater said while Hodgkinson did espouse anti-Republican views, all his writings were protected free speech and did not include threats. He'd told a family member he was traveling to Washington without providing any additional information, said Slater.
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