Republican congressman gunned down by Trump

The gunman who attacked Republican lawmakers was disaffected with American politics after Mr Trump was elected.

Gunman attacks Republican congressmen dissatisfied with US politics. Photo: AP

Michael Hodgkinson, the brother of suspect James T. Hodgkinson, said he was a critic of President Trump, dissatisfied with last year's election and planned to go to Washington to protest, the New York Times reported.

James Hodgkinson, 66, from Belleville, Illinois, on June 14 used a rifle to shoot Steve Scalise, the majority leader of the US House of Representatives, and his assistants and colleagues while they were playing baseball in Alexandria, Virginia.

Four of Scalise's aides were also wounded in the shooting, including one who was shot in the chest. Hodgkinson was killed. The suspect's weapon was an M-4 assault rifle.

According to the New York Times, on Facebook, the suspect strongly criticized President Trump and pledged allegiance to Senator Bernie Sanders, the former Democratic presidential candidate in last year's campaign.

James Hodgkinso showed a keen interest in politics on social media and in letters to The Belleville News-Democrat. He appeared to view Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election as a setback that would put his business at risk. In late March, authorities said the suspect had moved to Alexandria, just south of Washington.

Since then, the suspect has continued to post negative comments on Facebook about the president and Republicans active in Washington.

“How does a bill work?” the suspect posted a sentence with an illustration on the morning of June 13.

“It’s an easy bill, Billy. Corporations write the bill and then bribe Congress until it becomes law. That’s exactly how it works,” Hodgkinso wrote.

The suspect's Facebook page also featured numerous references to Mr Sanders, who has called on Democrats to support rapid reform since Hillary Clinton's defeat last year.

Mr. Sanders on June 15 condemned violence in any form in a statement.

"I am sickened by this despicable act. Let me be as clean as I can be. Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this act in the strongest terms," ​​Sanders wrote.

The immediate motive for the shooting remains unclear, however, as investigators search the suspect's home in suburban Belleville, Illinois.

"I know he's not happy with what happened, the election results and everything that goes with it," said Michael Hodgkinson.

"It was a complete surprise," he said, adding that his brother was interested in politics but led a normal life.

Information from friends and family, police records and the suspect’s Facebook posts show Hodgkinson has a deep interest in political freedom and volunteered for former Democratic candidate Sanders during last year’s presidential campaign.

The suspect also had problems with law enforcement for years. In Illinois, neighbors complained to police about the suspect practicing shooting near their homes.

In 1996, the suspect’s adopted daughter, 17, committed suicide by setting herself on fire in her car, according to The Belleville News-Democrat. She had lived with the Hodgkinsons for months and had attempted suicide before.

The suspect's behavior has also attracted the attention of authorities several times over the years.

St. Clair County police records show that in 2006, the suspect broke into a neighbor’s home looking for his daughter, grabbed her by the hair, and punched her friend in the face. When the girl’s boyfriend arrived, the suspect pulled out a gun, pointed it at his face, and beat him.

The suspect had lived primarily in a neat, two-story home on the outskirts of Belleville.

James Hodgkinson was a wrestler in high school, worked in construction for many years, then moved into the home inspection business and opened his own company called JTH Inspections.

Charlene Brennan, a real estate agent in Belleville, said the suspect performed inspections on homes she had been working on for years.

“He didn’t come across as a radical, he didn’t come across as unstable, he didn’t come across as belligerent. He was just a normal guy,” Ms. Brennan said.

When he arrived in suburban northern Virginia, Hodgkinson lived in his van and often went to the YMCA for personal hygiene.

“He seemed like a loner. But a very nice guy,” said William D. Euille, mayor of Alexandria from 2003 to 2016.

He knew the suspect because he often saw him in the mornings at the YMCA. They talked about politics and classic movies, but not for long. The suspect also asked him about finding a job in town and where to eat. The suspect often sat for hours in the small reception area with a laptop.

The suspect was also at the YMCA on the morning of the shooting, Euille said.

Michael Hodgkinson said his brother called home to tell his wife he missed her and the dogs and would be back. Friends and acquaintances of the suspect said they were stunned by the June 14 shooting.

Dale Walsh, a friend of the suspect, said he was very active as a young man.

"He's not a bad guy, I guess he's just so frustrated with politics," Walsh said.

According to VNE