Details are scarce, but a distressed individual decided to waltz into the district office of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and attacked staffers with a baseball bat. The suspect is in custody. Some Democratic congressman’s aides were injured, though they’re considered non-life threatening. They were transferred to a local hospital to get cleaned up. Mr. Connolly thanked the Fairfax County Police Department for their rapid response time (via NBC News):
"This morning, an individual entered my District Office armed with a baseball bat and asked for me before committing an act of violence against two members of my staff. The individual is in police custody and both members of my team were transferred to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries," Connolly said.
He said his focus is on ensuring his staff members receive the care they need. It's unclear which members of Connolly's staff were injured or where the congressman was when the attack occurred.
"We are incredibly thankful to the City of Fairfax Police Department and emergency medical professionals for their quick response," he said.
"I have the best team in Congress," Connolly added. "My District Office staff make themselves available to constituents and members of the public every day. The thought that someone would take advantage of my staff’s accessibility to commit an act of violence is unconscionable and devastating."
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Neither the congressman nor the police provided additional details about the suspect, what transpired during the attack or any possible motive.
“Intimidation and violence — especially against public servants — has no place in our society,” tweeted Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. “This is an extraordinarily disturbing development, and my thoughts are with the staff members who were injured.”
Let’s slow your roll, senator. This person could have been mentally ill with no political objective whatsoever. The New York City subway is littered with stories of these deranged folks assaulting and harassing bystanders. We’re glad no one was seriously injured, but we’re a nation of over 320 million people. More than a handful will have a few screws loose, and we remain a country with a mental health care system that’s grossly inadequate to help most of these people. But that’s an actual policy debate. Democrats would rather jump the gun and try to play the victim card.