House members were worried about their own safety prior to the congressional baseball practice shooting

The FBI investigates the scene of the congressional baseball practice shooting.

(Image credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

published 15 June 2017

House members had been expressing fears for their safety with House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as recently as last week, USA Today reports. Tensions boiled over at an all-member meeting on Wednesday, which followed a shooting at a congressional baseball practice that left Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) in critical condition.

Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) had reportedly voiced concerns directly to Ryan last week. Following Wednesday's attack, Republicans, including Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Maine), were also among those speaking up. Both Republicans and Democrats received threatening messages after the baseball attack.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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