Rep. Gary Palmer: We 'should've realized' that congregating en masse 'made us a target'

Police officers setting up perimeter at scene of shooting.

(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

published 14 June 2017

A gunman fired roughly 50 rounds at Republican lawmakers Wednesday morning in Alexandria, Virginia, where the senators and Congress members were practicing for the upcoming annual congressional baseball game. At least five people were shot, including Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), who is undergoing surgery for a hip wound. The gunman was reportedly subdued by Capitol Police, who were on the scene within three minutes.

Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) was playing shortstop at the practice when he told Roll Call's Bridget Bowman he heard a shot. "We probably should've realized that having this many members of Congress congregated in one place made us a target," Palmer said.

Scalise's presence at the baseball field was the only reason Capitol Police were nearby in the first place, as his status as a member of House leadership means he travels with a police detail at all times. Scalise's security officers reportedly returned fire at the gunman, which Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) told CNN likely prevented "a large-scale massacre. All we would've had would've been baseball bats against a rifle. Those aren't good odds."