This morning, a gunman approached Republican members of Congress as they were practicing for the congressional baseball game in Alexandria, VA and opened fire. House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) and several others, including one staffer, were transported to the hospital with injuries.
Rep. Ryan Costello (R-PA) said he might have been with them, if he hadn't missed his ride by about two minutes.
"I was supposed to be there. I know exactly what I'm looking at," he recounted, saying he was scheduled attend the practice, but that he missed his ride. Had he made it on time, he said, he would have played shortstop -- and would've been standing right next to Scalise, who was shot in the hip during the attack.
As we keep Rep. Scalise and the others injured in this senseless attack in our prayers, we are reminded of how much worse this could have been. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said that Capitol Police, who were at the scene providing security for Scalise, prevented a much more tragic situation.
"Had they not been there, it would have been a massacre," Paul said, explaining that the officers immediately responded to the shooting even as others at the scene ran for cover.
No votes are expected in the House today.