Congressman in critical condition after shooting at Virginia baseball field

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Four people, including a Congressman, were wounded in a shooting at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia, Wednesday morning.

The gunman was shot by police and later died from his injuries.

Police say the man opened fire during a baseball practice for congressional Republicans.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana was shot in the hip. He is in critical condition following surgery.

Capitol police officers who were in his security detail wounded the shooter. Two of those officers were also wounded and both are expected to recover.

Also wounded in the shooting was a former congressional aide, who now works for Tysons Food.

Scalise was reportedly conscious after the shooting. President Trump tweeted that Scalise was badly injured but will "fully recover."

>>WATCH: Rand Paul, Mo Brooks recall chilling details of shooting at GOP baseball practice 

The shooting happened at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in the Del Ray neighborhood at 7:09 a.m. Eastern time as Republican Congress members and their aides were at a practice for a charity baseball game planned for Thursday.

>>What is the Congressional Baseball Game?

Rep. Jeff Flake said Scalise was on second base when the gunman, who was near the third base dugout, opened fire.  Scalise dragged himself into the outfield, where he stayed for ten minutes as the gunfire continued.

Witnesses say the gunman fired more than 50 shots from a rifle. He was armed with a pistol as well.

The shooter, identified as 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson of Illinois, was in serious condition after being shot by Capitol Hill officers.  He later died from his injuries.

>>Who is James T. Hodgkinson, identified as GOP baseball practice shooter? 

Hodgkinson apparently volunteered on Sen. Bernie Sanders' campaign, according to Sanders.  Sanders says he is `sickened by this despicable act.'

Republican Rep. Jeff Duncan says he suspects he spoke with Hodgkinson minutes before he opened fire on the baseball practice.

>>Which members of Congress were at the baseball park shooting? Who was injured? 

Duncan, of South Carolina, says he gave a description of the man to Alexandria police that "fits the picture that's being shown on TV."

Duncan says he was preparing to leave the baseball practice when the man approached him and asked: "Excuse me, sir, who's practicing today? Democrats or Republicans?"'

Duncan said he replied it was the Republican team, and the man thanked him and turned around. Nothing about the man "struck me as being out of the ordinary."

Duncan says he left the field at 7:02 a.m. and had no idea there had been a shooting.

He said he has no doubt the man he spoke with was the shooter, based on photos he's seen.

Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., who was also at the practice, told CNN that he was “on deck, about to hit batting practice” when the shots rang out.

“I look around, and I see a rifle and I see a little bit of a body," he said. "Then I hear another ‘blam,’ and I realize there’s an active shooter.”

Brooks ran to the dugout, where a number of people were laying on the ground. The congressman then used his belt as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding from a staffer’s leg. Brooks heard another shot and looked up to see one of the members of their security detail firing back at the shooter with a pistol.

>>The Latest: Congressman says member of his staff wounded

CBS News says the rifle used in the shooting was, or is similar to, an M4 assault carbine.

Texas Congressman Joe Barton was there with his sons. One hid under an SUV during the attack.

“I think the security detail saved a lot of lives because they attacked the shooter,” said Barton.

President Donald Trump released the following statement soon after the shooting:

The Vice President and I are aware of the shooting incident in Virginia and are monitoring developments closely. We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the members of Congress, their staffs, Capitol Police, first responders, and all others affected.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cox Media Group