9:50: Some of the only good news so far. Whip Scalise’s office released a statement saying that the congressman was going into surgery for his gunshot wound. He is in stable condition and before going into surgery he was able to speak to his wife on the phone and was described as being in “good spirits.”

Also, as so often happens with early reports in these stories, it’s emerging that the person who asked about whether it was Republicans or Democrats playing may not have even been the shooter.

https://twitter.com/jbarro/status/874980775241953280

Police are keeping everything close to the vest until they get the investigation locked down, contact witnesses and gather evidence. We’re told they know who the shooter is but they are no doubt currently searching his home, looking for his car and all the rest before risking having civilians and reporters swarming what may wind up being part of the crime scene.

9:17: Authorities confirm that the shooter is in the hospital. Was shot during the exchange. Described by one source as “a middle aged white male.”

9:13: Jeff Flake was there and has some truly disturbing testimony. According to him, Scalise was “just laying out there” for ten minutes or so and they couldn’t get to him because of the shooter. Of course, time has a tendency to compress or stretch in human perception during times of extreme stress, but I’m sure it must have seemed like forever.

Sen. Jeff Flake: Scalise "laid out there for at least 10 minutes, alone in the field. We couldn't get to him while there were shots." pic.twitter.com/P5Wo8elbNc

— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) June 14, 2017

8:40: The two police officers are reportedly in stable condition, not with life threatening injuries. One aide to Scalise was shot in the chest. Condition unknown. Alexandria police are saying the shooter is “in custody” so we might assume that he’s still alive. No confirmation if he was shot.

Members from both parties coming together in the aftermath.

.@HouseDemocrats praying for our @HouseGOP @SenateGOP baseball colleagues after hearing about the horrific shooting. https://t.co/y2HEUaSuzd pic.twitter.com/6HBrlnxtey

— Rep. Ruben J. Kihuen (@RepKihuen) June 14, 2017

The President has also released a statement.

.@POTUS statement pic.twitter.com/2pFZEYB0FL

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) June 14, 2017

As a side note, MSNBC was interviewing Rand Paul who said it, “sounded like an AR-15.” Maybe, but I’ll just say that Senator Paul must have a seriously fine ear to tell at that distance.

8:34: Whoa. We’re getting confirmation that a person thought to be the shooter asked another congressman if those were “Republicans or Democrats” playing. Shortly after that the shooting began.

Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., told Fox News he left just before the shooting. As he walked to his car, a man asked DeSantis if it was Republicans or Democrats practicing. About three minutes the shooting began, DeSantis said.

8:30: Lots of details coming in all at once, some not confirmed. Rand Paul was in the batting cage and has been on the phone with MSNBC. Said he heard fifty or more shots and may have seen the shooter.

Congressman Jeff Duncan had just left the practice game and thinks he may have spoken to the shooter.

I'm told Rep. Jeff Duncan plans to give a statement to police regarding a conversation he had with the shooter before leaving practice early

— Rebecca Buck (@RebeccaBuck) June 14, 2017

Original article follows:

This is a breaking news story which we’ll update as we go. The regularly scheduled congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia was reportedly attacked by a shooter with a rifle. GOP Whip Steve Scalise was shot in the hip and is in stable condition. Two Capitol Hill Police officers were also supposedly shot. Conflicting reports indicate that the shooter is either in custody or dead. Fox News is updating the story regularly.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was shot in the hip and at least one other aide was also hit in the chest by a gunman with a rifle who opened fire at a baseball practice in Virginia Wednesday morning, Fox News confirmed.

Police tweeted they “believed” the gunman was in custody. Sen. Mike Lee told Fox News, however, the gunman was dead. He said a staffer used a belt as a tourniquet to stop Scalise’s bleeding.

The shots were reported on East Monroe Street in Del Ray, Alexandria police said on Twitter at 7:30 a.m. The location was near a YMCA.

Scalise, 51, is the House majority whip. He has represented Louisiana’s First Congressional District since 2008 and chairs the House Republican Study Committee. He is married with two children. Scalise’s district includes New Orleans.

https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/874958751798882304

Developing.