Nobody from Maine’s congressional offices attended the early morning baseball practice disrupted by a gunman in northern Virginia Wednesday.
But all of the state’s lawmakers reacted quickly to the shooting of a lawmaker, staffer, lobbyist and police officers by offering support to the wounded and uniformly praising the officers at the scene.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said on the floor of the Senate Wednesday that she was among those “stunned and saddened” to learn of the attack on her colleagues and their staff “as they practiced for the Republican team for the annual baseball game.”
The Republican lawmaker said she heard from U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who was there, about “the absolutely heroic behavior, the extraordinary bravery of the Capitol Police officers who were part” who were present.
“So I think it’s important for us to pause and express our gratitude to the men and women of the Capitol Police force, and indeed the first responders and law enforcement officers everywhere who day after day put their lives on the line for our country,” she said.
“Without their help today, the terrible attack would have been far, far worse,” she said.
After sending out a message on Twitter that he and his staff were safe, Republican U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin said on Facebook that “we are all extending our thoughts and prayers to everyone involved in this attack this morning, especially the brave Capitol Police officers on scene, congressional aides and my colleagues and my good friends Congressman Steve Scalise and Congressman Roger Williams.”
Scalise, the House majority leader, was wounded by the lone gunman is in critical condition. President Donald Trump said he was badly injured. A staffer for Williams was among those injured.
The shooter, James T. Hodgkinson of Illinois, 66, was apparently trying to murder GOP legislators and staff who were practicing for the annual baseball game Thursday between Capitol Hill Democrats and Republicans, a charity event that’s taken surprisingly seriously by participants.
Collins’ Senate colleague, independent Angus King, said on Twitter that he is “praying for my colleagues, Capitol Police, staff and all those at the congressional baseball practice this morning.”
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a 1st District Democrat, said that she was also “thinking of our colleagues and staff involved” in the shooting.
“We are grateful to Capitol Police for their service to us all,” Pingree said on Twitter.
Maine Democratic Party Chairman Phil Bartlett said in a prepared statement that the shooting “was a senseless, cowardly act of violence.”
“We may have our political differences, but we are all Americans,” he said. “Violence has no place in our democracy.”
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