ATLANTA (AP) — Staffers for Georgia's Republican congressmen say the officials and their staff are safe after a gunman shot a top House Republican and several other people at a congressional baseball practice just outside of Washington.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk is the only Georgia official listed on Republicans' congressional baseball roster this year. Loudermilk said on official social media accounts that he was on the field but is safe.
Loudermilk said "there were a lot of heroes here today" and called the shooting "a senseless act of evil."
Representatives for Georgia's eight other Republican House members told The Associated Press that those elected officials and their staff weren't at the field for the practice.
Meanwhile, 9th District Representative Doug Collins of Gainesville issued a statement shortly after the shooting saying, in part, "I am praying for the recovery of my friend Steve Scalise and the victims of today’s attack. We cannot deny the darkness that underlies such acts of violence, and we must answer it with hope for healing."
The office of Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana confirmed earlier today that he was shot and is undergoing surgery.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, a former member of Congress, said "I served with (Scalise), and certainly hope that his recovery will be complete."
Saying that while he doesn't know what was behind the shooting, Deal added "When people get angry and we incite their anger, whether it be through news reports or general political rhetoric...it does create a dangerous situation for people who serve in public office and this, obviously, is an example of that."
The gunman who shot the congressman and the others, and was then killed in a shootout with police, had a a history of anti-GOP activity.
(AccessWDUN's Ken Stanford and the Georgia News Network contributed to this story.)
Program note: AccessWDUN's Russell Brown will present an interview with Congressman Doug Collins on the Wednesday afternoon edition of the Afternoon News Wrap on WDUN. Air time will be 5:20 p.m.
