After he and three others were shot at the Republican team’s morning practice session for the annual Congressional baseball game, Rep. Steve Scalise was raced to the hospital by first responders. Subsequent updates indicated the Louisiana congressman was in critical condition, before later noting his injuries — though serious — were not life-threatening. During a Friday afternoon press conference at the MedStar Washington Hospital Center where Scalise was taken, trauma director Dr. Jack Sava provided additional updates about the representative’s condition, which will leave him there “for a considerable period of time.”
“When he arrived, he was in critical condition with an imminent risk of death,” Dr. Sava told reporters. “He will certainly be in the hospital for a considerable period of time, presumably weeks.” Though as the trauma director added during a followup question, “an excellent recovery [for Scalise] is a good possibility” at this point, so he may not need to be hospitalized for as long as several weeks. When Dr. Sava explained the extent of Scalise’s injuries, however, the full nature of what the congressman suffered became apparent.
“The round fragmented and did substantial damage to bones, internal organs, and blood vessels. I understand he was awake on scene, but by the time he was transported by helicopter to the MedStar Trauma Center he was in shock,” he said
Brett Horton, the representative’s chief of staff, read a statement from Jennifer Scalise thanking Special Agents Crystal Griner and David Bailey, “who saved the lives of everyone at the baseball field that morning,” as well as everyone else for their thoughts and prayers. You can read the full statement below:
Statement from Jennifer Scalise: pic.twitter.com/UaA9PZSbQz
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) June 16, 2017
(Via CBS News)