2 Staffers of US lawmaker injured by baseball bat-wielding attacker

Washington, May 15 (EFE).- US congressman Gerry Connolly, a Democrat from Virginia, said Monday that an assailant armed with a baseball bat entered his office in Fairfax, Virginia, and injured two of his staffers.

“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,” Connolly, who represents Virginia’s 11th district in the lower house of the United States Congress, said in a statement.

The lawmaker’s district office is located in northern Virginia, about 32 kilometers (20 miles) west of the US Capitol building in Washington DC.

“The individual is in police custody and both members of my team were transferred to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” the 14-year veteran of the House of Representatives said.

The City of Fairfax Police Department, for its part, identified the suspect as 49-year-old local resident Xuan-Kha Tran Pham and confirmed the assault of the two congressional staffers, adding that the baseball bat was made of metal.

It also said that one police officer was receiving medical treatment for a minor injury sustained in the incident, which it said occurred when Connolly was out of the office.

The lawmaker added in his statement that he has “the best team in Congress” and that his staff make themselves available to constituents and members of the public every day.

“The thought that someone would take advantage of my staff’s accessibility to commit an act of violence is unconscionable and devastating.” EFE

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