by WASHINGTON — A person with a baseball bat entered the district office of Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., Monday morning and attacked two of his staff, the congressman said in a statement.
“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 taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries,» Connolly said.
He said his focus is ensuring that his staff members get the care they need. It is unclear where Connolly was when the attack occurred.
«We are incredibly grateful 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 idea of someone taking advantage of my staff’s accessibility to commit an act of violence is unconscionable and devastating.»
Connolly, 73, represents Virginia’s 11th Congressional District and has served in the House since 2009. His district office is in Fairfax, Virginia, which is less than 15 miles from central Washington.
Neither the congressman nor the police provided additional details about the suspect, what happened during the attack or any possible motive.
Members of Congress have raised concerns about security in their offices or at home, especially since the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
Last October, a man with a hammer attacked the husband of then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Paul Pelosi, at their home in San Francisco.
In 2017, a man shot multiple people while a group of Republican lawmakers practiced for a congressional baseball game in Alexandria, Virginia. Then-House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, Republican of Louisiana, was among those shot and had to undergo surgery and physical therapy.
This is a developing story. Please check for updates.
