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James T. Hodgkinson.

James Hodgkinson/Handout via Reuters

Law enforcement officials reportedly identified Wednesdays congressional Republican baseball practice shooter as James T. Hodgkinson of Belleville, Illinois. President Donald Trump reported that Hodgkinson died after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement.

The 66-year-old home inspectors social media accounts reveal him to have been a longtime Bernie Sanders supporter who held a vociferous grudge against Republican lawmakers and also disliked Hillary Clinton.

In recent months he had taken to posting multiple political memes a day on his Facebook page often with a heavily anti-Republican slant. He would also attach his own messages to those memes. Here are some of the most notable of those posts:

Rep. Ron DeSantis said earlier on Wednesday that as he was leaving the field before the shooting occurred, a guy ... walked up to us that was asking whether it was Republicans or Democrats out there.

The Washington Post reported that Hodgkinson was charged in April 2006 with battery and aiding damage to a motor vehicle and the charges were eventually dismissed. The paper also noted that he owned a home inspection business, but his license expired in November and had not been renewed.

Hodgkinson's wife reportedly told ABC News that hed been living in Alexandria, Virginiathe site of the shootingfor the past two months.

Update, 12:30 p.m.: Hodgkinson volunteered for the Sanders campaign. The former presidential candidate has issued this statement on the Senate floor:

Meanwhile, NBC News' Peter Alexander is reporting that the 2006 assault charge was for attacking his then-girlfriend. "At the time police recovered a pocket knife, hair they say was pulled out of his girlfriend's head, and they recovered a 12-guage shotgun at the scene," NBC reported.

In a letter to the editor to the Belleville News-Democrat, Hodgkinson also once said he believed that President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and most of Bush's Cabinet to be "traitors."

See the original post here:
Congressional Baseball Shooter Hated Republicans, Has Died of Injuries - Slate Magazine (blog)