“Unconscionable and devastating”: Democrat’s staff attacked with baseball bat at district office

Two staff members were attacked on Monday by a perpetrator brandishing a baseball bat at the office of Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va.

Officers responded to the scene in Fairfax, Va., on Monday morning, police told Fox 5 DC.

Connolly told CNN that the assailant attacked two of his staffers with a metal bat. The congressman said the attacker hit a senior aide in the head and hit an intern — who was on her first day on the job — in the side.

Connolly, who was at a ribbon cutting at a food bank at the time of the incident, told the outlet that the attacker was a constituent that he does not know and that he also caused damage to the office, smashing glass and computers.

“He was filled with out-of-control rage,” Connolly said.

Connolly said in a statement that both aides were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and the man was arrested.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

“The individual is in police custody and both members of my team were transferred to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Right now, our focus is on ensuring they need. We are incredibly thankful to the City of Fairfax Police Department and emergency medical professionals for their quick response,” the statement said.

“I have the best team in Congress. My District Office 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.”