Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) condemns the shooting in remarks Wednesday on the U.S. Senate floor. Credit: Screengrab

The man who allegedly shot several people at a baseball practice for Congressional Republicans was a Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) supporter and reportedly volunteered on Sanders’ presidential campaign.

Authorities say 66-year-old James Hodgkinson of Belleville, Ill., opened fire Wednesday morning at a baseball field in Alexandria, Va. Five people were wounded, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.). Hodgkinson was shot at the scene and later died in a hospital.

Sanders first issued a statement condemning the shooting, then addressed it in prepared remarks delivered on the U.S. Senate floor.

“I have just been informed that the alleged shooter at the Republican baseball practice is someone who apparently volunteered on my presidential campaign,” Sanders said. “I am sickened by this despicable act. Let me be as clear as I can be. Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms.”

The banner photo on what appears to be Hodgkinson’s Facebook page is an image of Sanders. The page is full of progressive and anti-Republican commentaries, many of them harsh or even vulgar. Hodgkinson was a frequent letter-writer to his local newspaper; the letters were sharply critical of Republican policies and politicians.

James Hodgkinson Credit: Facebook

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Hodgkinson volunteered for Sanders’ presidential campaign in Iowa. According to the Des Moines Register, Hodgkinson was not a paid staffer, and campaign operatives had no recollection of him.

The shooting broke out just after 7 a.m. Wednesday at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, a few miles outside of Washington, D.C. Scalise was shot in the hip and taken to a hospital for treatment. The wounded also included a Congressional staffer, a lobbyist and two U.S. Capitol police officers.

Here is video of Sanders’ full remarks:

John Walters was the political columnist for Seven Days from 2017-2019. A longtime journalist, he spent many years as a news anchor and host for public radio stations in Michigan and New Hampshire. He’s the author of Roads Less Traveled: Visionary New England Lives, published by Plaidswede Press.

33 replies on “Walters: Congressional Shooter Campaigned for Bernie Sanders”

  1. So you are admitting that there was chair throwing between the different camps during the election, I just got the location wrong. I think you need to take some time and think about how silly you sound right now Knowyourass…… And once again in was just relying on Bernie’ s wife recollection of events. I forgot you were the only Republican in the country to attend the DNC, so I should take your account of the events over a person I know was there.

  2. Citizen, can you actually read? It doesn’t appear so. Or is it that you just can’t be bothered? You wrote there was chair-throwing at the Democratic National Convention. There was no chair-throwing at that event. The alleged chair-throwing was at a different place and a different time. But why let a little thing like factual accuracy interfere with your paranoid pro-Trump fantasies, right?

  3. .I feel sorry for you all..Vermont was once a great state, friendly,helpful and a Republican state !!!! Yes a Republican state now it’s a pathetic liberal state, run by pathetic liberals..and most of them are out of staters who moved here to change us, take over. who think they know better how to run our lives then we do… I was asked why I don’t leave Vt. I’m a fighter, stubborn and will not give up on my state.. and you want to know the main reason…I love pissing liberals off..!!!!! Makes my day..and I’m going to be around a very lonnnng time and will voice my opinion all the time.. I’m not a violent person, I believe in honesty , family, Country and FREEDOM.. which a lot in this state and the elected officials don’t believe in.. but when it comes to push I’ll be there pushing right back ..

    knowyourassumptions.. When obama was elected did the republicans riot, destroy, steal, kill, beat up??? Nope but the democrats sure did all this when Pres Trump was elected.

    2010 registered Democrat shot senator Gifford and 6 others
    2011 Democrat killed 12 in a movie theater
    2012 Democrat kills 7 in Minneapolis
    2013 Democrat kills 12 at a navy shipyard.
    2017 Democrat shoots at US Sen and US Rep Virginia Park
    How many Republicans have done mass killings in the last say 5 years? I see a trend here.
    nope democrats aren’t violent.. KKK was created by the DEMOCRATS. Lyndon B Johnson was a member of the KKK..
    .I also don’t think a certain Vt senator while in another country, should run down our President like he did..

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