News Roundup

Published for NC Criminal Law on June 16, 2017.

On Wednesday, a man with a rifle ambushed Republican members of Congress at a park in Virginia as the lawmakers held a morning baseball practice in preparation for the annual Congressional Baseball Game, which was held yesterday.  Five people were wounded, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who was in critical condition at the time of writing.  Two Capitol Police officers engaged the gunman in a shootout where he was fatally injured.  The gunman, James T. Hodgkinson, seemingly was motivated by political animus – he reportedly asked whether the lawmakers were Democrats or Republicans before the attack.  The Washington Post has comprehensive coverage of the incident.  Keep reading for more news. NCCU.  The News & Observer reports that one of the Capitol Police officers involved in the shootout with Hodgkinson, David Bailey, is a 2007 graduate of N.C. Central.  Bailey was injured during the incident but his injuries are not life threatening and he reportedly is in good condition. Hodgkinson.  As mentioned in the lead, it appears that Hodgkinson’s attack was motivated by political animus.  Hodgkinson reportedly volunteered for the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders and frequently criticized Republicans and President Trump on Facebook.  Politicians from both sides of the aisle called for unity in the wake of the attack. Defendant Grateful to Have Been Shot.  The Winston-Salem Journal has an unusual story of a criminal defendant who thanked a Winston-Salem officer for shooting him during a standoff in September of last year.  Marshall Alan Wiggins pleaded guilty to [...]