Agents also announced some of the names on the shooter's list that he carried with him, one of which was U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan of SC. Authorities earlier had identified the shooter as Hodgkinson, 66, from Belleville, Illinois, who had a history of arrests and assaults. Analysis of Hodgkinson's computer shows Google searches for truck stops, maps, and toll-free routes in the northern Virginia area. He had taken pictures of the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court, but it didn't appear he was surveilling possible targets. On the morning of Wednesday, June 14, Hodgkinson left his vehicle with two weapons, a 7.62 mm caliber SKS rifle and a 9 mm handgun. The annual GOP-Democrats baseball game raises money for charity.
A Wednesday FBI press release confirmed much of what has already been reported.
Law enforcement officials shared other details Wednesday that suggested Hodgkinson may have been planning to return to IL. The rifle was modified to accept a detachable magazine and the original stock was replaced with a folding stock. He didn't speculate on Tom Hodgkinson's mental state except to say he was struggling.
He had been living in Alexandria since March 2017 and found in a storage unit he had been renting in Alexandria since April 6 a piece of paper that include the names of six members of Congress and a sketch of several streets in Washington, D.C. The latter document was ruled not significant. He had posted repeatedly on social media espousing "anti-Republican" views, Slater said, and prior to the shooting, he asked a witness if those practicing were Democrats or Republicans.
"I've had someone call, leave a voicemail message saying they're going to come slit my throat, only to have a prosecutor come and tell me, 'Oh, we're not going to prosecute that one, '" Chaffetz said.
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Hodgkinson, of Belleville, Ill., stashed 200 rounds of ammunition, a receipt for a November 2016 gun purchase and additional parts to the SKS 7.62 rifle he used at the ballfield, Slater said. He was originally listed as critical following the ambush of the congressional baseball practice last Wednesday in Alexandria, Va. While online that night he checked his bank account, Facebook, and checked news highlights.
The day before the attack, Hodgkinson engaged in a profane tirade against President Trump in a conversation with a mechanic in Alexandria, echoing some of the criticisms of Trump and Republicans he had posted on social media accounts. He was also known to frequent the local libraries in Alexandria.
There was "no context included" with the list of names of members of Congress that was found on Hodgkinson, said Federal Bureau of Investigation officials who declined to say what names were on the list or what political party affiliations.
The investigation, which includes cooperation with other agencies, is still ongoing. Also wounded were Zach Barth, a staff member for Representative Roger Williams of Texas, and Matt Mika, a lobbyist for Tyson Foods and a former congressional aide.
Scalise, who was shot in the hip and was in a critical condition after the shooting, is now in a "fair condition" and is "beginning an extended period of healing and rehabilitation", MedStar Washington Hospital Center said on Wednesday.
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