James Hodgkinson’s apparent Facebook profile featured frequent critical commentary on the Republican Party and fervent support for Bernie Sanders. (Photo via Facebook)

The man who opened fire in Alexandria during a Republican practice for the the annual Congressional baseball game has been identified as James T. Hodgkinson, of Belleville, Illinois. He has died from injuries sustained in the firefight, according to a White House statement.

State records show he owns a home inspection business in Illinois, but the license expired in November, the Washington Post reports. An infrequently updated Twitter account identifies him as a home inspector.

Former Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille tells the Washington Post that he saw Hodgkinson on a near daily basis at the local YMCA and appeared to be living out of a gym bag

“What I did notice about this gentleman is he’d open up his gym bag and in it, he had everything he owned,” Euille said. “That, and he sat in the Y’s lobby for hours and hours. Outside of myself, I don’t think he knew anyone else in town.”

At least two congressional leaders at the baseball practice said that the shooter walked up to them and asked if the group was made up of Democrats or Republicans before opening fire around 7 a.m. this morning. Rep. Steve Scalise, the House Majority Whip, was shot in the hip and is currently undergoing surgery. Two Capitol Police officers, who were assigned to protect Scalise, a lobbyist, and a staffer for Rep. Roger Williams were also injured. All are expected to survive.

Hodgkinson has been identified as a fervent critic of the GOP and a Bernie Sanders supporter, and he served as a volunteer on Sanders’ campaign.

Speaking on the Senator floor, Sanders said “I am sickened by this despicable act. Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms. Real change can only come about through nonviolent action, and anything else runs against our most deeply held American values.”

Statement @SenSanders is about to deliver on the floor, per staff. He declined to answer questions on his way there. pic.twitter.com/5KNaHSKbCd

— Elana Schor (@eschor) June 14, 2017

On Facebook, Hodgkinson was a member of the groups “Terminate the Republican Party,” “The Road To Hell Is Paved With Republicans,” and “Donald Trump is not my President,” according to The Daily Beast.

He recently commented on a link to Change.org petition, saying “Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It’s Time to Destroy Trump & Co,” the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

He’d also written a number of letters to the editor of the local paper in 2012, in which he assailed Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly as hateful liars, railed against income inequality and tax cuts for the wealthy, and praised President Barack Obama.

Hodgkinson called or emailed his congressman, Republican Mike Bost, fourteen times, The Washington Post reports. Bost characterized the communications as “angry” and “not in support” of his policies, but said they never crossed a line into threats of violence.

Hodgkinson was arrested about a decade ago on charges of battery, property damage, and recklessly discharging a gun. The charges were later dismissed. From The Daily Beast:

In 2006, he was arrested for domestic battery and discharge of a firearm after he punched a man’s girlfriend “in the face with a closed fist,” according to a police report reviewed by The Daily Beast. When the man walked outside of the residence, Hodgkinson aimed a shotgun at him and later fired one round.
Hodgkinson was also “observed throwing” an unidentified female “around the bedroom,” the police report said. After the woman broke free, Hodgkinson followed and “started hitting her arms, pulling her hair, and started grabbing her off the bed.”

When Hodgkinson’s girlfriend tried to leave in a vehicle, he reached inside and “turned off the ignition,” the report said. “James then pulled out a possible pocket knife and cut [redacted] seatbelt.”

More recently, he was warned by to stop shooting guns at trees in the woods near his home, according to the Belleville News-Democrat.

Hodgkinson brother told the New York Times that the shooting happened “totally out of the blue,” though he also added that they weren’t particularly close. “I know he wasn’t happy with the way things were going, the election results and stuff.”