Louisiana congressman Steve Scalise's condition was upgraded from "critical" to "serious" Saturday and he continued to show signs of improvement after he was shot at a Republican baseball practice. He also says that Scalise received many units of transfused blood for hemorrhaging.
The gunman, James Hodgkinson from the St Louis suburb of Belleville, Illinois, was shot dead by officers in Mr Scalise's security detail. Congressional aide Zack Barth, Tysons Food lobbyist Matt Mika and Capitol Police Officer David Bailey were also shot in the attack, but have since been released from the hospital.
The director of trauma for MedStar Washington Hospital said Rep. Steve Scalise's condition when he arrived at the hospital was "as critical as it could be".
"I like to say it's my job to be pessimistic and so if you accuse me of being optimistic I feel bad about that", Sava said.
"At the request of the family, we will continue to provide periodic updates", the statement concludes. His condition is critical, and he will require additional operations.
Since then, the lawmaker has undergone multiple surgeries and procedures to stop the bleeding and fix bone.
Shooter went to Republican baseball practice with list of names
Hodgkinson ― a 66-year-old resident of IL ― who targeted a GOP team baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, on Wednesday. The doctors said that while Scalise remains in critical condition , they "are encouraged by improvement in his condition".
Hemorrhaging is still the biggest concern for Scalise's medical team, but Sava said he fully expects Scalise will be able to walk again and "an excellent recovery is a good possibility". Leaders decided the game would go on as scheduled at Nationals Park in Washington, home of the city's professional baseball team, and the Democrats won, 11 to 2.
Earlier Friday, House Speaker Paul Ryan paid a visit to his injured colleague, who faces the prospect of a lengthy hospitalization after getting shot in the hip at a baseball practice by a deranged man with grudges against Trump and the GOP.
At the press conference Friday, Scalise's chief of staff Brett Horton read a statement from Scalise's wife Jennifer thanking everyone for their prayers and well wishes and thanking the Capitol Police officers who helped save lives at the scene.
Scalise has undergone multiple surgeries and will need more.
Although the weather in Washington looks headed toward a near-flawless summer night, an obvious and immovable shadow is being cast over Thursday night's Congressional Baseball Game - a tradition that began more than a century ago. The 66-year-old posted several angry messages about President Donald Trump and the Republican party on social media before the incident.
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