Alexandria gunman wanted to kill congressmen, Rep. Mo Brooks believes
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Rep. Mo Brooks said he believes the gunman who opened fire at a Republican congressional baseball practice intended to kill as many congressmen as possible.
"Well it was one person and it's a Republican baseball practice with United States congressmen. I cannot imagine him going there for any other reason than to try to kill as many congressmen as he could," Brooks told reporters.
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Brooks was one of several congressmen who were able to flee the shooting at a YMCA baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia on Wednesday. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and three others were shot during the onslaught.
"We understand we are high profile targets," Brooks noted. "I've had my name on the Internet with a bounty."
He drew a comparison to when former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others were shot in a grocery store parking lot in Tucson, Arizona back in January of 2011.
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Brooks told FOX 5's Bob Barnard that congressmen typically have no additional security detail accompanying them, unless they are in a group.
"Normally when you have a group of congressmen together in one place, and it's in the Washington D.C. area, there is capital security with us," he explained.
Brooks noted that even when law enforcement is present, they are in place to protect civilians around the congressmen, as it is impossible to stop the first couple shots aimed at high profile targets.
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In environments similar to the baseball practice, Brooks hopes that security will be present going forward.
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