Suspect of Shooting of Congressman Steve Scalise Identified

66 Year Old From Illinois

The man suspected of allegedly shooting a Republican Congressman and four others has been identified as James T. Hodgkinson, a man in his 60’s from Illinois. Scalise has just come out of surgery and is expected to fully recover. The suspect was quickly apprehended.

The Washington Post reports “Hodgkinson, 66, owns a home inspection business” and “was charged in April 2006 with battery and aiding damage to a motor vehicle, according to online records in St. Clair County, Illinois. The charges were dismissed, records show.”

Hodgkinson is “a passionate progressive and showed no signs of violence or malice toward others,” the Post reports, citing an interview with a man from St. Louis identified as an “acquaintance” interviewed by the Post.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Orear said when told by phone. “I met him on the Bernie trail in Iowa, worked with him in the Quad Cities area.”

Orear described Hodgkinson as a “quiet guy” who was “very mellow, very reserved” when they stayed overnight at a Sanders’s supporter home in Rock Island, Ill., after canvassing for the senator.

“He was this union tradesman, pretty stocky, and we stayed up talking politics,” he said. “He was more on the really progressive side of things.”

 NBC News’ Pete Williams on the suspect:

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