Naples Congressman Francis Rooney was not at the baseball field where several of his colleagues were shot Wednesday morning.
"It's pretty incredible the level of hate and vitriol this guy must have had," said the Freshman Republican Lawmaker of the suspect.
Rooney dined with one of the victims, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) Tuesday night. Scalise was shot in the hip.
Another member of the Florida congressional delegation, Rep. Tom Rooney (no relation to Francis), left the baseball game moments before the shooting.
"I just got lucky because being first baseman, and Steve playing second, we were right next to each other," said Rooney, who represents parts of Lee and Charlotte Counties.
Congressman Francis Rooney says the mood in the capitol was somber , and even though business carried on, it was obvious everyone was affected by the incident.
"Where are we as a country when we can no longer just disagree about policy?"
Congressman Rooney says he hopes this incident will serve as a wake up call for people in this country to express their grievances in a more civil manner.
