Two Staffers for Virginia Democrat Hospitalized After Attack by Bat-Wielding Assailant Who Was Asking for Congressman
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Two staffers for Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) were hospitalized on Monday after being assaulted by an attacker wielding a baseball bat.
Connolly’s official Twitter account posted a statement from him Monday afternoon that said an “individual” had entered his district office “armed with a baseball bat” and asked for the congressman, “before committing an act of violence against two members of my staff.”
The alleged assailant was in police custody, the statement continued, and the two staffers were taken to the hospital with “non-life threatening injuries.”
“Right now, our focus is on ensuring they are receiving the care they need,” the statement added. “We are incredibly thankful to the City of Fairfax Police Department and emergency medical professionals for their quick response.”
Connolly concluded by saying he has “the best team in Congress,” and his district office staff “make themselves available to constituents and members of the public every day.”
“The thought that someone would take advantage of my staff’s availability to commit an act of violence is unconscionable and devastating.”
UPDATE 3:00 pm ET: CNN’s Manu Raju reported that he spoke directly to Connolly, who told him that the assailant had a metal bat, and “struck one senior aide in the head” and also “hit an intern — on her first day on the job — on the side with the bat.”
Connolly added that the attacker caused property damage in the office, including breaking computers and shattering glass in a conference room. “He was filled with out of control rage,” he told Raju.
This is a breaking news story and has been updated.
