Watch CBS News

James T. Hodgkinson, Alexandria shooting suspect, dies of injuries

Alexandria shooting suspect ID'ed
Alexandria shooting suspect identified as James T. Hodgkinson 04:20

Law enforcement officials have identified the suspected gunman in the early Wednesday shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise as James T. Hodgkinson.

In a statement from the White House, President Trump said Hodgkinson died of his injuries.

Hodgkinson, 66, owned a home inspection business in Belleville, Illinois. Law enforcement officials say he opened fire at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia, shortly after 7 a.m. Wednesday. Hodgkinson shot Scalise and four others, including two Capitol Police officers, before being shot himself and taken into custody.

Officials say Hodgkinson was carrying an assault weapon similar to an M-4 and a handgun. Both are being traced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The FBI has taken over the investigation and has said the D.C. medical examiner said the official cause of death was from multiple gunshot wounds in the torso.

A law enforcement official said Hodgkinson wasn't on the radar of the U.S. Secret Service and was unknown to them, CBS News' Pat Milton reports.

148702-101563569915932-5594456-n.jpg
James T. Hodgkinson, 66, of Belleville, Illinois. CBS News / Facebook

Court records show Hodgkinson was arrested in 2006 on a misdemeanor charge of battery.

Lyndon P. Evanko, Hodgkinson's former attorney, did not remember the circumstances of the charge but told CBS News Hodgkinson never did anything violent. The charge was dismissed by a judge.

hodgkinson.jpg
James Hodgkinson's mugshot after being arrested for battery in 2006. St. Clair County Sheriff's Department

Outside Hodgkinson's home in Illinois, neighbors told CBS News they had not seen him in months. Authorities quickly arrived and began combing through Hodgkinson's home.

Hodgkinson made a number of posts criticizing President Trump and expressing support for independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont on his Facebook page. Sanders reacted to the shooting on the Senate floor Wednesday, saying Hodgkinson volunteered on his 2016 presidential campaign.

"I am sickened by this despicable act," Sanders said. "I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms."

FBI Special Agent-In-Charge Timothy Slater said during a Wednesday evening joint press conference that Hodgkinson was unemployed and homeless and living out of his van in Alexandria.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.