Matt Mika
(Update: Mika remains in critical condition.)
A lobbyist for Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale was among those injured in a shooting Wednesday morning at Congressional baseball team practice, Tyson has confirmed.
Matt Mika, director of government relations in Tyson’s Washington office, was one of the victims shot during the incident. Among the other victims was House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana.
A family spokesman issued a statement saying Mika “was shot multiple times” and “is in critical condition.” He was in surgery early Wednesday afternoon.
A Tyson spokesman said Mika, a former college baseball and football player, wasn’t scheduled to play in the game but was helping coach the practice.
“Baseball is one of his great passions and he has always loved the congressional team,” the spokesman said.
The Associated Press reported a total of five people were taken to the hospital as a result of the shooting, including the suspected gunman, identified as James Hodgkinson, 66, of Belleville, Illinois. President Donald Trump said Hodgkinson died from his injuries.
Mika’s LinkedIn profile says he has been at Tyson since January 2011, where he is responsible for “handling both state and federal issues, including issues related to the Farm Bill and the Committees on Agriculture.”
The full statement from Tyson is below:
We have confirmed that Matt Mika, director-government relations for our Washington, D.C. office, is among those who was shot this morning in Alexandria. He has been taken to a local hospital and we’re awaiting word on his condition. Matt has worked for Tyson Foods for more than six years and we’re deeply concerned about him and his family.
The full statement from the family is below:
“Matt Mika, Oakland county native and current director of government relations at Tyson Foods, was among those shot at the Congressional baseball practice this morning in Alexandria, VA. Matt previously served on Congressional staff for Representatives Walberg and Camp, as well as serving on the staff of State Representative David Palsrok. Baseball is one of his great passions and he has always loved the Congressional team.
“Matt’s family, now traveling to Washington D.C., was informed by paramedics on the scene that Matt was shot multiple times, is in critical condition, and is currently in surgery at an area hospital. We ask that the media respect our family’s privacy at this difficult time.”
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