Man Who Attacked GOP Politicians Was A Bernie Supporter With A Violent History
Posted in: Today's ChiliWASHINGTON ― The man who opened fire on Republican lawmakers practicing for an upcoming baseball game on Wednesday was apparently a Bernie Sanders supporter outspoken in his distaste for the GOP, President Donald Trump and former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
James Hodgkinson, a home inspector from Belleville, Illinois, died at a hospital in Washington, D.C., following a shootout with Capitol Police at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia.
Hodgkinson’s wife told ABC News that her husband had been living in Alexandria for two months. On Monday, Hodgkinson reportedly canceled his membership at a YMCA located near the scene of Wednesday’s shooting.
Hodgkinson visited the YMCA most mornings, according to The New York Times and The Washington Post. Both outlets reported Hodgkinson would frequently see former Alexandria Mayor William Euille at the gym, and the two would chat about things like politics or where to eat. Hodgkinson appeared to be living out of a gym bag, according to Euille, and would shower at the Y and sit for hours in the lobby on his laptop.
Two Facebook pages apparently belonging to Hodgkinson ― both now inaccessible to the public ― reveal strong political sentiments.
He once posted a petition on Facebook asking the Federal Elections Commission to open an election fraud investigation into Clinton and the Democratic National Committee. He wrote that Clinton was “Really a Republican in a Democratic Pant Suit!!!”
He also posted a photo of Sanders photoshopped into an Uncle Sam costume and joined a Facebook group stating that the “Road to Hell is Paved With Republicans.”
Charles Orear, a restaurant manager from St. Louis, told The Washington Post that he and Hodgkinson became friends while working on Sanders’ presidential campaign.
“He was this union tradesman, pretty stocky, and we stayed up talking politics,” Orear told the Post. “He was more on the really progressive side of things.”
Online court records suggest Hodgkinson had a history of violence. He was arrested in 2006 on suspicion of battery with intent to cause bodily harm. He was also charged with domestic battery, criminal damage of property and reckless discharge of a firearm during the incident.
Hodgkinson was accused of punching a woman in the face with “a closed fist,” according to a police report. When confronted by the woman’s boyfriend, Hodgkinson allegedly “walked outside with a shotgun and aimed it at [his] face” before hitting him over the head with a wooden stock. As the man fled, Hodgkinson fired a round in his direction, the report reads.
The incident was over Hodgkinson’s daughter, who had been at the home with the two victims when the incident occurred. After demanding she return home with him, Hodgkinson “became violent” and “grabbed [her] by the hair and pulled her off the floor” and began throwing her around the room, police said.
When another female in the house tried to leave, Hodgkinson allegedly turned off the woman’s car ignition, took out a pocket knife, and cut her seat belt as she tried backing out of the driveway. His wife, Suzanne Hodgkinson, then began “striking her arms and pulling her hair” to get her out of the vehicle.
“I’ll just call police and put you back into foster care,” Suzanne allegedly said before leaving the area.
Meanwhile, “James was choking [redacted] as she was holding on to the steering wheel of the vehicle,” the report reads. James then punched her in the face with a closed fist.
Hodgkinson was arrested, and his charges later dismissed.
Police recovered a pocket knife and a 12-gauge shotgun during the 2006 incident. In 1993, he was charged with a DUI and resisting arrest, the latter charge eventually dismissed.
Sanders issued a statement on Wednesday saying he was “sickened” by Hodgkinson’s “despicable” act.
“Let me be as clear as I can be. Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms. Real change can only come about through nonviolent action, and anything else runs against our most deeply held American values,” Sanders said.
In 2012, Hodgkinson wrote several letters to his local newspaper, the Belleville News-Democrat, calling for increased taxes on the wealthy and criticizing Republicans.
Hodgkinson criticized another letter writer by saying he “reminds me of Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly, but I’m sure he doesn’t bring in the millions of dollars those two do. They speak their lies and hatred and misdirection to anyone who will listen.”
Calling for higher marginal tax rates on the rich, Hodgkinson concluded by saying, “I believe anything near these rates would be fair and balanced. In rebuttal: I have never said ‘life sucks,’ only the policies of the Republicans.”
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