James T. Hodgkinson was killed by police after he shot four people at a congressional baseball game.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

Before firing 60 rounds from a rifle and handgun at an unwitting group of Republican lawmakers and staffers who were practice baseball in Alexandria, Va., James T. Hodgkinson had been living in his van in the parking lot of the YMCA on the outskirts of Washington D.C.

Struggling with his marriage, anger management problems and a beef against Republicans, the unemployed home inspector from Illinois approached the baseball players and asked, “Is this the Republican or Democrat baseball team?”

Soon after the encounter, the 66-year-old retrieved a 7.62-caliber SKS rifle and 9mm handgun from his van before returning and calmly and deliberately opening fire at the lawmakers and their staff.

U.S. Capitol Police special agents and officers from Alexandria returned fire, killing the gunman.

Five people were wounded, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., who is in fair condition at the hospital after multiple emergency surgeries.

On Wednesday, the FBI revealed details of a troubled Hodgkinson who had long-simmering hatred for Republicans.

“While the shooter was known to have a history of diagnosed mental illness, he is known, or it was known, to have an anger management problem,” Timothy R. Slater, FBI special agent in charge, said at a press conference Wednesday. “He was struggling in all kinds of different ways.” 

The FBI still doesn’t know why Hodgkinson was in the area, and agents believe he acted alone and that the shooting was spontaneous. 

Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

The FBI plans to release details today of the shooting that critically injured House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and four other people last week on a northern Virginia baseball field.

The bureau’s Washington Field Office will reveal the investigative findings by agents and other law enforcement officials.

Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, was critically wounded when he was shot near the hip, but after several surgeries, his condition has upgraded to serious.

James T. Hodgkinson was killed by police after he shot four people at a congressional baseball game. Photo via Facebook.

The shooting happened while Scalise and other congressional Republicans were practicing in advance of ann annual charity baseball game against Democrats.

James T. Hodgkinson, a harsh critic of President Trump and an employed home inspector, opened fire at the field and became involved in shootout with police before he was mortally wounded. 

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

Newly released video shows a Border Patrol agent firing 13 of 16 shots at a 16-year-old Mexican while he was lying facedown on the ground dying.

The video was played during a U.S. District Court hearing Monday for Border Patrol Agent Lonnie Swartz, who fired 16 shots through the border fence in Nogales, Ariz., at Antonio Elena Rodriguez, who was on the Mexican side, the Arizona Republic first reported. 

Rodriguez died.

Swartz, who was on the scene responding to a smuggling incident, appeared to be firing his gun while Rodriguez was lying on the ground and barely moving.

Rodriguez was shot in the head back and arms while he was on the ground, expert witness James Tavernetti said.

Swartz, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder, said he fired his weapon in response to people throwing rocks at him from the Mexican side of the border.

Swartz’s trial is scheduled for October.

His attorneys are asking a judge to prevent the video from being shown during the trial because, they argue, the video evidence is unreliable. District Judge Raner Collins has not made a decision yet.

James T. Hodgkinson was killed by police after he shot four people at a congressional baseball game. Photo via Facebook.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

The FBI has taken over the investigation of a 66-year-old gunman who opened fire at a congressional baseball team, shooting four people including high-ranking Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., who was in critical condition Wednesday night.

James T. Hodgkinson, a harsh critic of President Trump, was killed in a gun battle with police.

The FBI is investigating the background of shooter, his associates, social media activity and potential motivations.

According to the New York Times, Hodgkinson was living out of his van in the Northern Virginia suburbs and often posted venomous criticisms of Trump on Facebook. 

In the meantime, the ATF is tracing the history of the rifle and handgun used in the attack.

Dale Walsh, a friend of Hodgkinson, said the man was vibrant and positive when he was younger.

“He wasn’t evil,” Walsh said. “I guess he was tired of the politics.”

Darius Smith, 15, was fatally shot by an off-duty ICE agent. Photo via Twitter.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

The family of a 15-year-old who was fatally shot by an off-duty ICE agent Friday night in Arcadia, Calif., claims the official narrative is false.

The agent said Darius Smith and two 14-year-old pointed a gun at him and demanded his money after they exited a train Friday night, TheRoot.com reports. In an act of self-defense, he said he shot the teens.

Smith died at a hospital, and the two 14-year-olds were not in life-threatening condition as of today. 

The teens face robbery charges.

Smith’s mother, Reshawna Myricks, is disputing the agent’s story, saying the teens would never try to rob someone.

“Them boys didn’t do that,” Myricks told KCAL9. “They aren’t those type of boys to do that.”

“[They’re] going to walk home; they’re going to see their kids tonight,” Myricks said of the border agent and law-enforcement officers claiming that her son committed a crime. “I got to go back and tell my other three that one of them ain’t coming back no more.

“First they said there was no crime committed,” Myricks continued. “Now there is a crime committed. Now it’s a gun; then they said there was a fight. I don’t know what to believe. All I know is my baby [is] gone and I’ll never know his story.”

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

A man who authorities initially believed was shot by Border Patrol agents at a Las Cruces checkpoint in New Mexico last month has died. 

CBP officials originally said agents shot the man after he pointed a gun at them on April 9. But now officials said the man shot himself, KFOX14 reports. 

Agents fired their weapons at the man after they heard a gunshot.

No agents were injured.

The man’s identity has not been released by CBP.

Derick Lamont Brown

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

The FBI was investigating a Dallas man before he fatally shot his roommate and critically wounded a neighbor and paramedic on Monday.

Derick Lamont Brown, 36, was the subject of an active, open FBI investigation, NBCDFW.com reports. 

Eric Jackson, special agent in charge of the Dallas FBI, confirmed the investigation Tuesday and said his office was reviewing the case file on Brown, who has ties to two black nationalist groups.

The FBI didn’t disclose more information about the open investigation.

Avery Richard was killed by an FBI agent.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

An FBI agent is recovering after being shot while trying to serve a warrant in Atlanta on Friday.

The agent was shot while trying to serve an arrest warrant on a 32-year-old man accused of shooting a sheriff’s deputy at an outlet mall.

Avery Richard, who had been on the run for two days, was killed by FBI agents, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

The agent suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital.

Also shot was a 32-year-old woman who was with the suspect. She also had non-life-threatening injuries.

During a two-day crime spree, Richard is accused of armed robbery, stealing a car, kidnapping a woman and shooting a sheriff’s deputy, who was saved by his bulletproof vest.