The gunman who shot four people including a Republican member of Congress at a baseball field last week acted alone and was not connected to terrorism, FBI investigators said Wednesday.
The gunman, James Hodgkinson, 66, of Belleville, Illinois, was shot dead by Capitol Police officers last week after opening fire on lawmakers practicing for an annual Congressional baseball game in Alexandria, Virginia. He underwent several surgeries and remains hospitalised at MedStar Washington Hospital Centre. During the shooting, U.S. Capitol Police and other officers returned fire.
The FBI, which reviewed records from Hodgkinson's cellphone and laptop, released preliminary details from its ongoing probe into the shooting, piecing together Hodgkinson's whereabouts and online activity in the days and weeks leading up to the shooting. They said he acted alone and had no connections to terror groups.
The FBI also noted that the shooting appeared to be more of a spontaneous incident than one which Hodgkinson had planned.
During a search of Hodgkinson's van, investigators found a a handwritten list of six House Republicans' names.
The investigation into the attack is still active as police continue to analyze evidence from the scene, authorities said. As he continued to make "good progress", his condition was upgraded again on Wednesday, allowing him to begin "an extended period of healing and rehabilitation".
House Speaker Paul Ryan said Wednesday that Scalise "is on the road to recovery" but it will take some time.
Authorities revealed Wednesday that Hodgkinson had legally purchased a 7.62 mm caliber SKS rifle in March 2003 and a 9mm handgun after the election in November 2016.
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Hodgkinson left his home in Belleville, Ill., in March and drove to the Alexandria area, where he then lived in his vehicle at a YMCA across the street from the baseball field.
The FBI said that on June 12, a family member asked Hodgkinson in a text message to return home to IL. The FBI added that they did not believe the pictures of the baseball field represented "surveillance." .
GJELTEN: FBI agent Timothy Slater said we don't know his intended targets. He also visited the office of independent Sen. Sanders has previously stated that the shooter apparently volunteered on his presidential campaign.
St. Clair County, Ill., Sheriff Richard Watson, whose deputies have assisted federal investigators in a search of the gunman's Belleville home, said deputies last encountered Hodgkinson on March 24, when a neighbor reported gunshots fired in the area.
"He was running out of money".
SLATER: He was not employed at the time of the event, and he was looking for some local employment.
He said it appeared Hodgkinson was married for 30 years and the marriage was not "going so well".
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