Panetta in right field as Congress pays tribute

CONGRESSMAN JIMMY Panetta took the field Thursday evening during a Congressional baseball game at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Just the day before, he was at bat during a practice with other Democratic House of Representatives members for the annual charity event when he got word that shots had been fired at a field in Alexandria, Va., where GOP members were practicing.

"I was up to bat when the coach, Mike Doyle, a Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania, got a notification on his phone that there was an active shooter in Alexandria at a field near where Republicans were practicing," Panetta told The Pine Cone not long after the attack.

About two minutes later, as more information became available, Panetta said the Democrats abruptly called off their practice and took shelter.

"We immediately proceeded to the dugout," Panetta recalled. "Everybody goes to their phones to see what's going on. At that point a couple of Capitol Police showed up and gave us a briefing of what they knew. We said a prayer, and remained in place until we received further guidance from police as to what we should do."

Panetta and the other Democrats would soon learn that the victims of the shooting included Republican Majority Whip, Steve Scalise — the third-highest-ranking House GOP member — a Congressional aide, a lobbyist and two Capitol Police officers. Scalise, who suffered broken bones, damage to his internal organs and severe bleeding, was in critical condition Thursday.

According to eyewitnesses, gunman James T. Hodgkinson, 66, intentionally targeted Republicans. Capitol Police who had been guarding Scalise because of his leadership position responded to the assassination attempt with gunfire, seriously wounding Hodgkinson, who later died. Members of Congress who are not in leadership positions are not provided security when they are away from the Capitol, and the Democrats had none at their practice.

Panetta, who began his congressional stint this year, said that he's had brief conversations with Scalise, including last week when he talked to the 51-year-old Louisiana congressman about the Congressional baseball game.

The game was set proceed Thursday night at Nationals Park, and Panetta — a right fielder — was photographed at Nationals Park in his uniform — a loaner from Monterey Peninsula College.

Panetta also issued a statement about the shooting Wednesday: "Although we will be playing against each other on the baseball field, we will stand together to try to stop the hateful rhetoric that can pervade our society and be unified based on our commonality and humanity of our communities and country."

The shooting comes amid growing hostility toward conservative politicians, writers, pundits and supporters of Trump, who — since he took office — have been shouted down at town hall meetings, received death threats, and have been blocked from speaking at universities. In May, police arrested a man for making repeated death threats against Arizona Republican Congresswoman Martha McSally.

In addressing members of the House of Representatives Wednesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan called the shooting a "dreadful attack," and he offered prayers for the victims and their families. "We are united. We are all united in our shock. We are united in our anguish," Ryan said to a standing ovation by Democrats and Republicans.