2 staffers attacked with baseball bat at Virginia office, says US Rep. Gerry Connolly

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) – US Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly said Monday man wielding a baseball bat entered his northern Virginia office and proceeded to commit “an act of violence” that targeted two staffers.

“This morning, an individual entered my District Office armed with a baseball bat and asked for me before committing an act of violence against two members of my staff,” the Democratic congressman said in a statement.

The suspect was taken into police custody and the staffers are currently receiving treatment for their injuries in a local hospital, he said.

“I have the best team in Congress. My District Office staff make themselves available to constituents and members of the public every day. The thought that someone would take advantage of my staff’s accessibility to commit an act of violence is unconscionable and devastating,” he added.

US Capitol Police and the Fairfax City Police Department have launched a joint investigation into the attack. Capitol Police described the injuries to the staffers as “non-life threatening.”

It identified the suspect as Xuan Kha Tran Pham, a 39-year-old resident of Fairfax.

He is being charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Malicious Wounding.
A motive was not immediately clear.