Steve Scalise, the majority whip who was shot when a gunman opened fire during a congressional Republican baseball practice, is doing better but remains in critical condition, according to a statement from MedStar Washington hospital center, where the congressman is being treated.
“He remains in critical condition but has improved in the last 24 hours,” the hospital said. “The congressman will require additional operations and will be in the hospital for some time.”
Earlier on Thursday, Donald Trump urged prayer for Scalise and said his condition was “more difficult than people even thought at the time”.
“He’s in some trouble,” Trump said during remarks at the White House. “But he’s a great fighter and he’s going to be OK, we hope.”
The president and his wife, Melania, paid a visit to the hospital where Scalise was being treated on Wednesday night, arriving with two large bouquets of white flowers. The president sat by the bedside of the wounded congressman and spoke with his doctors and wife, Jennifer, for 15 minutes.
Scalise was one of five people injured when a a lone gunman with a rifle fired at Republican lawmakers on Wednesday morning, turning baseball practice at a field in Alexandria, Virginia, into “bedlam”. Scalise was struck in the left hip and collapsed on the field, according to witnesses. They said Scalise dragged himself from the infield as the shooting continued.
The senior Republican suffered extensive injuries from the gunshot. The bullet traveled across his body, shattering bones and passing through internal organs, causing major internal bleeding, according to the hospital. Doctors immediately performed surgery, and Scalise had a second operation on Thursday.
The others injured include two officers in Scalise’s protective detail who engaged the shooter, a congressional aide and a lobbyist. The gunman, identified by authorities as James Hodgkinson, died of wounds he sustained during a shootout with police.
Despite a record of domestic violence, Hodgkinson had no felony convictions and was therefore able to legally purchase the weapons from licensed sellers – SKS 7.62 semi-automatic rifle and a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun, according to a statement from the FBI. His white van, parked at the YMCA gym beside the practice field, was searched; his cellphone, computer and camera were recovered.
Scalise and his colleagues were practicing for the congressional baseball game, an annual tradition where Republicans and Democrats compete in a friendly match for charity, when the assault began. The game will be played on Thursday night as scheduled at Nationals Park stadium.
On Capitol Hill on Thursday, members of Congress tried to remain optimistic about Scalise’s condition. In a floor speech, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell urged prayer for the Louisiana congressman and all who was injured, saying that it had been an “immensely difficult 24 hours for all the victims”.
Congressman Cedric Richmond, a Democrat from Louisiana and the team’s star pitcher, visited Scalise twice on Wednesday and will do so again before taking the mound on Thursday.
Richmond said Scalise is still “fighting” after another surgery Thursday morning.
“I’m prayerful that he will pull through,” Richmond replied, when asked if he was confident Scalise would “pull through”.
“I’ve known Steve a long time. and I know that he’s very persistent and strong, which is why I characterize him like a little chihuahua,” Richmond said. “He’s always fighting, that’s why this is right up his ally.
“It’ll be a different game without him there,” Richmond said.
Minority leader Nancy Pelosisaid of the Democratic team: “We are going to play our hardest to win tonight, but throughout the whole game we will all be Team Scalise.”
While this was a time to put political divisions aside, Pelosi said, she forcefully condemned Republicans who sought to blame the attack on liberals and the rise of an activist left.
“How dare they say such a thing. How dare they,” the minority leader said. She pointed to the attack ads against her that Republicans have run in the Georgia special election and said they have resulted in “calls to my home constantly, threats in front of my grandchildren”.
“This sick individual does something despicable and it was horrible what he did, hateful, but for them to all of a sudden be sanctimonious as if they’ve never seen such a thing before – and I don’t even want to go into the president of the United States, in terms of some of the language that he has used.”
Congressman Roger Williams, a Republican from Texas, who is on crutches after being injured while running for safety during the shooting, said he thinks the shooting had more to do with the individual than his political leaning.
“I’m not so sure this guy yesterday was Republican, Democrat,” Williams told reporters. “I think he was just sick.
“I don’t know if you can blame this on one wing or another wing. I think it’s just a matter of having a lot of problems and having a lot of anger.”
