Rep. Gerry Connolly Wiki – Rep. Gerry Connolly Biography
Virginia Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly said two employees were injured Monday by a bat-wielding man who walked into his district office in Fairfax. Connolly told CNN that the attacker who entered his office and attacked two of his assistants did so with a metal bat. The attacker struck a senior aide over the head with the metal bat, he said. The attacker also hit an intern, on her first day at work, in the side with the bat.
In a statement early Monday, Connolly said both deputies were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and the man has been arrested. The shooter, who is a constituent in his district but who Connolly says he doesn’t know, caused extensive damage to his office, smashing glass in a conference room and smashing computers along the way.
“I was filled with out-of-control anger,” Connolly told CNN in a telephone interview. Connolly told CNN that he was at a ribbon cutting at the time for a food bank when the shooter drove up to his office and entered the building. The congressman estimates that it took police about five minutes to respond to the emergency call for help.
Democratic congressman’s staff was attacked by a man
“This morning, an individual entered my District Office armed with a baseball bat and asked for me before committing an act of violence against two members of my staff. The individual is in police custody and both members of my team were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” Connolly said in a statement.
“Right now, our focus is making sure they get the care they need. We are incredibly grateful to the City of Fairfax Police Department and emergency medical professionals for their quick response. I have the best team in Congress. My district office staff make themselves available to constituents and members of the public every day,” he added.
The congressman’s statement continued: “The idea of someone taking advantage of the accessibility of my staff to commit an act of violence is unconscionable and devastating.”
The incident occurred at Connolly’s office on Main St. in Fairfax, according to a tweet from the city police, who said officers are “investigating the assault of two staff members. The victims are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect is in police custody.”
Connolly told CNN the shooter struck a senior assistant over the head with a metal bat and struck an intern in the side with the bat. It was the intern’s first day on the job, he told the network. Connolly said he was at a ribbon cutting for a food bank when the incident occurred.
The congressman said the shooter is a constituent in his district whom he does not know. He pointed out that the attacker broke windows and computers. “I was filled with out-of-control anger,” Connolly told CNN.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a statement that he spoke with Connolly “to offer him and his staff the full support of the House Democratic Caucus family. after this horrific attack.” The incident at Connolly’s office is the latest violent threat facing a lawmaker amid extreme political polarization in the US.
The US Capitol Police Threat Assessment Section investigated 7,501 cases in 2022, including investigations of concerning statements and outright threats. That was down from 9,625 cases in 2021 and 8,613 cases in 2020. Yet despite the drop, Capitol Hill Police Chief Tom Manger said in January that threats against lawmakers “are still too high.”
“The safety of our members and our staff continues to be of the utmost importance, particularly given the rise in instances of political violence in our country,” Jeffries wrote in a statement. “We must collectively take all available precautions to protect our members and staff, who serve the American people with patriotism and passion and deserve to do so without fear for their safety.”
In October, a man broke into the California home of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and struck her husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer. According to charging documents, the alleged shooter, David DePape, was taking aim at the congresswoman when he entered the San Francisco residence.
Pelosi at the time was second in line for the presidency. DePape has since been charged with attempted murder and other state felonies, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
In February, Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) was robbed in the elevator of her Washington, D.C., apartment building. According to a police report filed with the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, the attacker struck Craig on the chin and grabbed her by the neck. , and the congresswoman threw the hot coffee at her to defend herself against it.
Craig’s chief of staff said she “suffered bruises but is otherwise physically fine”, noting there was no evidence the incident was politically motivated.
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