Independent Senator Bernie Sanders condemned the shooting of Senior Republican Steve Scalise and his aides on Wednesday condemned as a “despicable act”, the gunman who was killed during the shootout was a former volunteer for his presidential campaign.

“Let me be as clear as I can be, violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms.” he said

The shooter, later identified as James T. Hodgkinson of Belleville, Ill., celebrated  Sanders prominently on his personal Facebook page while posting hate speech about President Donald Trump.

Sanders added, “Real change can only come through nonviolent action, and anything else runs against our most deeply held American values.”,  he ended his speech by thanking the Capitol Police for their work disarming the shooter and expressed hope for the victims’ recovery.