Police ID suspect in Connolly office attack

Capitol Police on Monday identified the suspect in an attack on the district office of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) in Fairfax, Va. 

A USCP release identified 49-year-old Xuan Kha Tran Pham of Fairfax as the man suspected of entering Connolly’s office and assaulting two congressional staffers with a metal bat. Fairfax City Police officers responded and arrested the suspect at the scene.

USCP said the suspect’s motivation is not clear, but he faces charges for one count of aggravated malicious wounding and another count of malicious wounding. 

“Based on what we know right now, investigators do not have any information that the suspect was known to the USCP,” the release said. 

The congressman was not in his office during the attack, but Connolly said Monday the suspect asked for him during the incident. The two staffers were hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries, and the USCP and Fairfax City Police are investigating. 

A police officer also sustained minor injuries, according to the Fairfax Police Department.

“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,” Connolly said in a statement. 

“The thought that someone would take advantage of my staff’s accessibility to commit an act of violence is unconscionable and devastating,” he added.