Federal authorities are still investigating the shooting on Wednesday in Alexandria, Va., that injured five people, left the gunman dead and involved several others, including U.S. District 1 Representative and Union native Trent Kelly.
Early Wednesday morning, a lone gunman opened fire on a group of Republican members of Congress and other staff as they practiced for the annual Congressional Baseball charity game.
The game has been played between Republican and Democratic members of congress for more than a century to raise money for a variety of charities.
The FBI on Wednesday confirmed the gunman’s identity as 66-year-old James Hodgkinson of Belleville, Ill.
Kelly, who along with fellow Mississippi Congressman Rep. Steven Palazzo, was a part of the 33-member roster for the Republican team, was on third base during practice with his teammates when a Hodgkinson opened fire.
Seconds later, Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., the majority whip who was playing second base, was shot.
“I was closer than I cared to be, I don’t know of anybody who was closer,” Kelly told the USA TODAY Network. “I was the closest person when he got shot.’’
Scalise underwent surgery on Wednesday and was initially reported in critical condition. Steve Scalise’s condition has been upgraded from critical to serious.
Medstar Washington Hospital Center announced on Sunday evening that Scalise underwent an additional surgery over the weekend but “continues to show signs of improvement.”
Also injured in the shooting were Congressional aide Zachary Barth, Tyson Foods lobbyist Matt Mika, and Capitol Police special agents Crystal Griner and David Bailey who engaged Hodgkinson in a firefight.
Hodgkinson, who was reportedly an anti-Republican activist who volunteered for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, was killed by Capitol Police officers.
Kelly’s mother, Barbara, still lives in Union and said she didn’t know the complete details about the shooting until her son called her that night at around 6:30 p.m.
“I didn’t know exactly what had happened and all he kept saying was ‘I’m okay. Something bad happened but I’m okay,’” said Barbara Kelly. “I had to wait for the news to catch the rest of it.”
Rep. Kelly, a combat veteran, described a “scary’’ scene that happened in matter of minutes.
“It only takes a split second,’’ said the second-term lawmaker to the Clarion Ledger. “I processed it pretty quickly. Everybody around, all the congressmen, the Capitol Police, knew or quickly learned that we were under attack and under fire, and they acted appropriately and got out of the range and got to cover as quickly as they could except for the Capitol Police, who were steadily engaging this guy. … They were not retreating, they were protecting those that they were paid to protect in a heroic fashion.”
Kelly and Palazzo played in the Congressional Baseball charity game which went forward on Thursday as planned.
Kelly is a 1984 graduate of Union High School and attended East Central Community College before graduating from Ole Miss.
He was elected in a special election in June 2015 after former U.S. District 1 Rep. Alan Nunlee passed away from brain cancer. Kelly was reelected in December for a second term after a landslide win over Democrat Jacob Owens.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Ole Miss and his law degree from the Ole Miss School of Law. In 2010, he received his master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pa.
Trent lives in Saltillo with his wife of 26 years, Sheila, and their three children John Forrest, Morgan, and Jackson. Kelly has maintained a private law practice in Saltillo, and served as Tupelo City Prosecutor and Forfeiture Attorney for North Mississippi Narcotics Unit. Prior to being elected to Congress, he served as a District Attorney for the First Circuit Judicial District (Lee, Pontotoc, Alcorn, Monroe, Itawamba, Prentiss, and Tishomingo) managing all felony cases.
Kelly, a colonel in the Mississippi Army National guard, is a combat veteran who served 32 years in the military and been awarded two Bronze Stars and a Combat Action Badge, among other commendations. He has seen active duty in Desert Storm in 1990 and deployments to Iraq in 2005 and 2009-2010. The game has been played between Republican and Democratic members of congress for more than a century to raise money for a variety of charities.
The FBI on Wednesday confirmed the gunman’s identity as 66-year-old James Hodgkinson of Belleville, Ill.
Kelly, who along with fellow Mississippi Rep. Steven Palazzo was a part of the 33-member roster for the Republican team, was on third base during practice with his teammates when Hodgkinson opened fire.
Seconds later, Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., the majority whip who was playing second base, was shot.
“I was closer than I cared to be, I don’t know of anybody who was closer,” Kelly told the USA TODAY Network. “I was the closest person when he got shot.’’
Scalise underwent surgery on Wednesday and was initially reported in critical condition. Steve Scalise’s condition has been upgraded from critical to serious.
Medstar Washington Hospital Center announced on Sunday evening that Scalise underwent an additional surgery over the weekend but “continues to show signs of improvement.”
Also injured in the shooting were Congressional aide Zachary Barth, Tyson Foods lobbyist Matt Mika, and Capitol Police special agents Crystal Griner and David Bailey who engaged Hodgkinson in a firefight.
Hodgkinson, who was reportedly an anti-Republican activist who volunteered for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, was killed by Capitol Police officers.
Kelly’s mother, Barbara, still lives in Union and said she didn’t know the complete details about the shooting until her son called her that night at around 6:30 p.m.
“I didn’t know exactly what had happened and all he kept saying was ‘I’m okay. Something bad happened but I’m okay,’” said Barbara Kelly. “I had to wait for the news to catch the rest of it.”
Rep. Kelly, a combat veteran, described a “scary’’ scene that happened in matter of minutes.
“It only takes a split second,’’ said the second-term lawmaker to the Clarion Ledger. “I processed it pretty quickly. Everybody around, all the congressmen, the Capitol Police, knew or quickly learned that we were under attack and under fire, and they acted appropriately and got out of the range and got to cover as quickly as they could except for the Capitol Police, who were steadily engaging this guy. … They were not retreating, they were protecting those that they were paid to protect in a heroic fashion.”
Kelly and Palazzo played in the Congressional Baseball charity game which went forward on Thursday as planned.
Kelly is a 1984 graduate of Union High School and attended East Central Community College before graduating from Ole Miss.
He was elected in a special election in June 2015 after former U.S. District 1 Rep. Alan Nunlee passed away from brain cancer. Kelly was reelected in December for a second term after a landslide win over Democrat Jacob Owens.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Ole Miss and his law degree from the Ole Miss School of Law. In 2010, he received his master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pa.
Trent lives in Saltillo with his wife of 26 years, Sheila, and their three children John Forrest, Morgan, and Jackson. Kelly has maintained a private law practice in Saltillo, and served as Tupelo City Prosecutor and Forfeiture Attorney for North Mississippi Narcotics Unit. Prior to being elected to Congress, he served as a District Attorney for the First Circuit Judicial District (Lee, Pontotoc, Alcorn, Monroe, Itawamba, Prentiss, and Tishomingo) managing all felony cases.
Kelly, a colonel in the Mississippi Army National guard, is a combat veteran who served 32 years in the military and been awarded two Bronze Stars and a Combat Action Badge, among other commendations. He has seen active duty in Desert Storm in 1990 and deployments to Iraq in 2005 and 2009-2010.
