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| Congressman’s Shooting Likely a Spontaneous Act, F.B.I. Says | Congressman’s Shooting Likely a Spontaneous Act, F.B.I. Says |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| WASHINGTON — The 66-year-old gunman who opened fire one week ago on members of Congress at a Northern Virginia ball field most likely acted spontaneously, the F.B.I. said Wednesday, describing his increasing desperation in recent weeks as he moved halfway across the country, unemployed, living in a van and facing a crumbling marriage and anger management problems. | WASHINGTON — The 66-year-old gunman who opened fire one week ago on members of Congress at a Northern Virginia ball field most likely acted spontaneously, the F.B.I. said Wednesday, describing his increasing desperation in recent weeks as he moved halfway across the country, unemployed, living in a van and facing a crumbling marriage and anger management problems. |
| Investigators cautioned that they had not settled on a motive for James T. Hodgkinson of Belleville, Ill., who was killed in an early morning firefight with police officers on June 14. They said that he had no links to terrorism and that he acted alone. But a lengthy statement from the F.B.I. provided the most complete picture to date of Mr. Hodgkinson’s time in Virginia, where he moved in the weeks before the shooting. | Investigators cautioned that they had not settled on a motive for James T. Hodgkinson of Belleville, Ill., who was killed in an early morning firefight with police officers on June 14. They said that he had no links to terrorism and that he acted alone. But a lengthy statement from the F.B.I. provided the most complete picture to date of Mr. Hodgkinson’s time in Virginia, where he moved in the weeks before the shooting. |
| “He was struggling in all kinds of different ways,” Timothy R. Slater, a senior F.B.I. agent at the Washington Field Office, said during a news conference. “I think he was struggling in a lot of aspects of his life.” | “He was struggling in all kinds of different ways,” Timothy R. Slater, a senior F.B.I. agent at the Washington Field Office, said during a news conference. “I think he was struggling in a lot of aspects of his life.” |
| Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, one of the shooting victims, improved to fair condition and was starting rehabilitation, MedStar Washington Hospital Center officials said Wednesday. They had said previously that Mr. Scalise, the No. 3 Republican in the House, had been at “imminent risk of death.” | Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, one of the shooting victims, improved to fair condition and was starting rehabilitation, MedStar Washington Hospital Center officials said Wednesday. They had said previously that Mr. Scalise, the No. 3 Republican in the House, had been at “imminent risk of death.” |
| Mr. Hodgkinson began firing on members of Congress and others at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Va., as they practiced for the annual congressional charity baseball game. Mr. Scalise, 51, was gravely wounded after a rifle bullet tore through his hip. Since then, he has steadily improved. | Mr. Hodgkinson began firing on members of Congress and others at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Va., as they practiced for the annual congressional charity baseball game. Mr. Scalise, 51, was gravely wounded after a rifle bullet tore through his hip. Since then, he has steadily improved. |
| Two Capitol Police officers were also wounded, as were Zachary Barth, a staff member for Representative Roger Williams of Texas, and Matt Mika, a lobbyist for Tyson Foods and a former congressional aide. | Two Capitol Police officers were also wounded, as were Zachary Barth, a staff member for Representative Roger Williams of Texas, and Matt Mika, a lobbyist for Tyson Foods and a former congressional aide. |
| The F.B.I. said Mr. Hodgkinson, who had railed against President Trump on social media and voiced support for Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, was carrying SKS 7.62-millimeter semiautomatic assault rifle and a 9-millimeter handgun. The authorities said he had legally previously purchased the rifle in 2003 and bought the handgun in November 2016, though they did not say whether he did so before or after the presidential election. The SKS had been modified to accept a detachable magazine, and the original stock was replaced with a folding one, the F.B.I. said. | The F.B.I. said Mr. Hodgkinson, who had railed against President Trump on social media and voiced support for Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, was carrying SKS 7.62-millimeter semiautomatic assault rifle and a 9-millimeter handgun. The authorities said he had legally previously purchased the rifle in 2003 and bought the handgun in November 2016, though they did not say whether he did so before or after the presidential election. The SKS had been modified to accept a detachable magazine, and the original stock was replaced with a folding one, the F.B.I. said. |
| A factory SKS can be slow and difficult to reload. The modifications that Mr. Hodgkinson made would have allowed him to remove an empty magazine and replace it with a full one more swiftly and easily. The folding stock can help the weapon be more readily hidden. | A factory SKS can be slow and difficult to reload. The modifications that Mr. Hodgkinson made would have allowed him to remove an empty magazine and replace it with a full one more swiftly and easily. The folding stock can help the weapon be more readily hidden. |
| Investigators said they found shell casings from both weapons at the scene. The F.B.I. said Mr. Hodgkinson fired more than 60 shots from the third-base side of the field, about 50 from the SKS rifle. | |
| Three Capitol Police officers were at the field when the shooting started. Officers with the Alexandria Police Department also responded to the shooting and shot at Mr. Hodgkinson in trying to stop him. | Three Capitol Police officers were at the field when the shooting started. Officers with the Alexandria Police Department also responded to the shooting and shot at Mr. Hodgkinson in trying to stop him. |
| Mr. Hodgkinson was carrying a piece of paper with the names of six lawmakers, the F.B.I. said. But the list lacked any context, and the F.B.I. said a review of computer searches showed he had only done a cursory search of two of those members of Congress. | Mr. Hodgkinson was carrying a piece of paper with the names of six lawmakers, the F.B.I. said. But the list lacked any context, and the F.B.I. said a review of computer searches showed he had only done a cursory search of two of those members of Congress. |
| Mr. Slater said Mr. Hodgkinson was running out of money at the time of the shooting. His marriage of 30 years was also crumbling. And he had been taking prescription medication, though Mr. Slater declined to describe it. | Mr. Slater said Mr. Hodgkinson was running out of money at the time of the shooting. His marriage of 30 years was also crumbling. And he had been taking prescription medication, though Mr. Slater declined to describe it. |
| According to the statement, the F.B.I. discovered a laptop computer, cellphone and digital camera in Mr. Hodgkinson’s vehicle. He had photographed Washington landmarks including the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court and the Capitol, but the F.B.I. did not believe those sites were targets. | According to the statement, the F.B.I. discovered a laptop computer, cellphone and digital camera in Mr. Hodgkinson’s vehicle. He had photographed Washington landmarks including the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court and the Capitol, but the F.B.I. did not believe those sites were targets. |
| In March, Mr. Hodgkinson told a family member that he was driving to Washington but did not explain why. Authorities have said he was living out of his van near the baseball field. On April 4, he joined the neighborhood Y.M.C.A., where he would shower and spend hours a day on his laptop. | In March, Mr. Hodgkinson told a family member that he was driving to Washington but did not explain why. Authorities have said he was living out of his van near the baseball field. On April 4, he joined the neighborhood Y.M.C.A., where he would shower and spend hours a day on his laptop. |
| Mr. Hodgkinson attended one protest in April in Washington, a rally on Tax Day calling for an overhaul of the tax system, Mr. Slater said. He also visited the office of Mr. Sanders, according to Mr. Slater. | Mr. Hodgkinson attended one protest in April in Washington, a rally on Tax Day calling for an overhaul of the tax system, Mr. Slater said. He also visited the office of Mr. Sanders, according to Mr. Slater. |
| One day later, Mr. Hodgkinson rented a storage unit in Alexandria, which he visited dozens of times between April and June, the F.B.I. said. The police discovered more than 200 rounds of ammunition and additional SKS rifle components in the unit. | One day later, Mr. Hodgkinson rented a storage unit in Alexandria, which he visited dozens of times between April and June, the F.B.I. said. The police discovered more than 200 rounds of ammunition and additional SKS rifle components in the unit. |
| Mr. Hodgkinson sent an email two days before the shooting that indicated he wanted to return home, a family member told the F.B.I. The day before the shooting, he canceled his membership at the Y.M.C.A., and that night, investigators also disclosed, he had done a Google map search on the route from Alexandria to his home in Belleville. | Mr. Hodgkinson sent an email two days before the shooting that indicated he wanted to return home, a family member told the F.B.I. The day before the shooting, he canceled his membership at the Y.M.C.A., and that night, investigators also disclosed, he had done a Google map search on the route from Alexandria to his home in Belleville. |