BREAKING NEWS: White man 'targeting Republicans' shoots five including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise with a RIFLE at an early morning congressional baseball practice

The latest:

• Steve Scalise and four others including two of his security guards were shot at the baseball practice on Wednesday morning
• A gunman opened fire on the group of GOP figures from the dugout at around 7.30am
• He fired between 50 and 100 shots before he was eventually shot by one of the group's security guards
• Scalise, who is the House Majority Whip, was shot in the hip and airlifted to hospital
• A congressional staffer was also shot in the leg

By Ashley Collman For Dailymail.com and David Martosko, U.s. Political Editor For Dailymail.com

Five people including the House Majority Whip Steve Scalise were shot at a GOP baseball practice on Wednesday morning.

Scalise was shot in the hip by the gunman who fired between 50 and 100 rounds from his rifle before being brought down by one of the security agents on scene.

Florida Rep. Ron DeSantis said the shooter asked the group of they were Republican or Democrat before opening fire.

Two members of Scalise's security detail were also shot and an unnamed congressional staffer was shot in the leg.

The shooting took place at around 6.30am at a practice field in Alexandria, Virginia. The politicians were practicing for a charity match which is due to take place on Thursday at Nationals Park.

Five people including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise were shot by a gunman who opened fire on a GOP baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, on Wednesday morning "

Republican Rep. Mo Brooks was also there but was not hurt. He described using his belt as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding from the congressional staffer's leg.

Speaking to FM Talk 1065 moments after the shooting, he told how the group were practicing batting when he suddenly saw his face in the dugout.

'Suddenly there's this face. I noticed the guy's got a rifle and he's shooting at us,' he said.

As he took shelter with others in the group, which also included Rep. Gary Palmer, Brooks said he watched Scalise leave a trail of blood on the field as he tried to crawl to safety.

Local residents reported that some of the politicians tried to take shelter in their homes shortly afterwards.

Brooks caught a brief glimpse of the shooter and described him as a white, skinny, middle-aged male.

Scalise is the Republican majority whip in the House of Representatives – the congressman responsible for counting votes and maintaining party discipline.

The Louisianan, a father of two, is counted among conservatives in Congress who tend to back President Donald Trump's more controversial initiatives, including calling his famous travel ban a 'prudent' measure. he endorsed Trump unreservedly last year.

Scalise came under fire in 2014 for remarks he made in 2002 at a conference run by a group that he later learned was a white supremacist organization.

The infamous former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, who founded the group, blasted Scalise as a 'sellout' for apologizing.

The Congressional baseball game is an annual tradition pitting members of the Democratic and Republican parties against each other.

The game is set to take place on Thursday at Nationals Park.

The shooting took place at around 6.30am

You know it could not be BLM person. ;)

Rep. Steve Scalise was shot in Alexandria, Virginia, Wednesday morning

Too bad it wasn't McCain or Lady Lindsey.

Too bad it wasn't McCain or Lady Lindsey.

I can't imagine either one ever playing baseball.

Who'd pick either one?

You know it could not be BLM person. ;)

Safest time to be out. But, he could've been coming home from a night out.

Scalise came under fire in 2014 for remarks he made in 2002 at a conference ...

So this is the second time he was shot at? Or just a poor choice of words by the reporter?

But, he could've been coming home from a night out.

True but they normally are home by 4am.