- 1440 Daily Digest
Attack on Congressional Staffers
Two staff members who work for Rep. Gerry Connolly (D, VA-11) were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries yesterday after a person wielding what appeared to be a metal baseball bat walked into the congressman's northern Virginia office and struck the staffers.
The suspect, identified as 49-year-old Xuan Kha Tran Pham and a constituent of Connolly, is in police custody. He faces charges of aggravated malicious wounding and malicious wounding. He had entered the Fairfax, Virginia, district office yesterday morning, asking for Connolly, who was not there. A senior aide and an intern were hit in the head and side, respectively, according to authorities. A motive for the attack is unknown.
The attack follows a series of threats against lawmakers, their families, and associates. Last year, the US Capitol Police recorded more than 9,000 threats, up 400% in the past six years, and investigated 7,501 cases, including the intruder attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, CA-11). See a report here.