Breaking News:
A person armed with a baseball bat attacked two congressional staff members at a district office in Northern Virginia on Monday after asking to speak with Rep. Gerry Connolly, the congressman said in a statement.
Mr. Connolly, a Democrat, said the two members of his staff, were taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The Fairfax City Police said on Twitter that an individual was in custody. The suspect’s name was not immediately released.
“I have the best team in Congress. My District Office staff make themselves available to constituents and members of the public every day,” Mr. Connolly said in a statement. “The thought that someone would take advantage of my staff’s accessibility to commit an act of violence is unconscionable and devastating.”
Mr. Connolly represents a swath of the Northern Virginia suburbs west of Washington, D.C. He was first elected to Congress in 2008.
The attack comes amid a rise in threats and violent political speech against members of Congress in recent years.
The motive in not yet known.