Rep. Gary Palmer: We 'should've realized' that congregating en masse 'made us a target'
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."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Read The Week's full coverage of Wednesday's shooting here.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
-
'Unthinkable tragedy'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Passenger: 'pleasingly off-kilter' ITV crime drama
The Week Recommends There's 'plenty to be feared' in this British murder mystery set in a quiet northern town
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: March 27, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published