Man who shot congressman a Sunders supporter

The man who opened fire on Congress members as they practiced for a charity baseball game was an ardent supporter of liberal Senator Bernie Sanders - who said he was "sickened" by the "despicable act."

The rifle-wielding critic of President Donald Trump opened fire on June 14 on lawmakers seriously wounding a top Republican congressman Steve Scalise and three others before he was killed by police.

The 66-year-old gunman was identified as James T. Hodgkinson of Belleville, Illinois.

The attack provoked a wave of emotion on Capitol Hill, where Republicans and Democrats expressed concern over a possible rise in verbal or physical violence amid a bitterly partisan political atmosphere in the aftermath of a vitriol-filled 2016 election.

In a national address, Trump appealed for unity following the morning assault in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, Virginia.

"We are strongest when we are unified and when we work together for the common good," the president said.

Scalise, a strong supporter of gun rights, underwent surgery after being shot in the left hip.

He needed several blood transfusions, remains in critical condition and will require more operations, MedStar Washington Hospital Center said late on June 14.

"The bullet traveled across his pelvis, fracturing bones, injuring internal organs, and causing severe bleeding," a statement said.

The others shot and wounded were a congressional aide, a lobbyist for Tyson Foods, and a U.S. Capitol Police officer.

A second Capitol police officer suffered non-gunshot injuries, the FBI said. Two congressman said they had sustained minor injuries while trying to take cover.

The president and First Lady Melania Trump later visited...