Sen. Jeff Flake was on the baseball field when a gunman opened fire this morning shooting a top House Republican, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, and others.
Flake said the gunman had 'a rifle of some sort ... a lot of ammo.β
"All of a sudden we heard a very loud shot. The gunman was over by the third base dugout with a clear view of the field," Flake told CNN.
Flake says Scalise was playing second base when he was shot by a man standing off the third-base side of the field.
Scalise dragged himself into the outfield to get farther away from the shooting, said Flake, who was not injured. Flake said he helped a wounded congressional aide before he and others ran onto the field to help Scalise after the shooting stopped.
Flake said that he retrieved Scalise's cellphone and called the congressman's wife to tell her about the shooting, saying that he didn't want her to learn about the incident through the media.
Several other people were wounded, including a congressional staff member and law enforcement personnel, officials have said.
Scalise, 51, the No. 3 House Republican leader first elected to the House in 2008, was in stable condition and undergoing surgery at a nearby hospital. His injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. It was not known the condition of the others who were shot.
President Donald Trump said he was "deeply saddened by this tragedy" and was monitoring developments.
The shooting occurred at a popular park and baseball complex in Alexandria, Virginia, where lawmakers and others were gathered for a morning practice about 7 a.m. The team was taking batting practice when a gunshot rang out and chaos erupted, lawmakers on the scene said.
Initial reports said that as many as 50 shots had been fired, but Flake said, "50 would be an understatement. He had a lot of ammo."
The last shooting of a member of congress occurred in Tucson in 2011.
Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head at a meet-and-greet event outside a grocery store on the northwest side.
Six people were killed and Giffords was among 13 injured.
Flake was among many political leaders who visited Giffords during her recovery.
