Shooter at Republican Baseball Practice Contacted Congressional Office 10 Times

Lone gunman who attacked a Republican baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, contacted the congressional office ten times, according to US Congressman Michael Bost.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US Congressman Michael Bost said in an interview on Thursday that James Hodgkinson — the lone gunman who attacked a Republican baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia a day earlier — has in the past repeatedly contacted the congressional office by phone and email.

"He [Hodgkinson] has actually contacted our office ten times. Nine of those times were through email, one was through a telephone call," Bost told Fox News.

Bost noted the congressional office has a good system of record keeping, which has allowed lawmakers to track past communications.

US Congressman Steve Scalise, the third ranking Republican in the US House of Representatives, remained in critical condition on Thursday following Hodgkinson’s attack. Three other individuals, including a Capitol Police officer, were wounded in the attack.

Though the specific motive for the attack are not yet clear, the gunman was vocally opposed to President Donald Trump and his policies, and served as a volunteer in the presidential campaign of US Senator Bernie Sanders.