--- title: Steve Scalise: Chris Collins Says He'll Start Carrying Gun description: Republican House member Chris Collins of New York vowed to start carrying a gun with him following the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise canonical: https://time.com/4818560/chris-collins-steve-scalise-shooting/ author: Aric Jenkins article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-06-14T19:24:18.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T16:09:00.783Z article:section: Politics og:title: GOP Congressman Vows to Carry Gun 'From This Day Forward' Following Virginia Shooting og:description: "It’s going to be in my pocket from this day forward" og:url: https://time.com/4818560/chris-collins-steve-scalise-shooting/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5c2eb8c5c7fb77fa/6988d1b30b72e315b76ee3d7/chris-collins.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4041 og:image:height: 2273 og:image:alt: House GOP og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: GOP Congressman Vows to Carry Gun 'From This Day Forward' Following Virginia Shooting twitter:description: "It’s going to be in my pocket from this day forward" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5c2eb8c5c7fb77fa/6988d1b30b72e315b76ee3d7/chris-collins.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # GOP Congressman Vows to Carry Gun 'From This Day Forward' Following Virginia Shooting > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=a1a4b9f9-7836-447d-b754-91db6fcaf883&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) by [Aric Jenkins](https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/) ## Aric Jenkins Jun 14, 2017 7:24 PM UTC  Rep. Chris Collins leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the Capitol on April 26, 2017. Rep. Chris Collins leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the Capitol on April 26, 2017. Tom Williams—Getty Images by [Aric Jenkins](https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/) ## Aric Jenkins Jun 14, 2017 7:24 PM UTC Rep. Chris Collins vowed Wednesday to start carrying a gun with him “from this this day forward” following the [shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise](http://time.com/4817777/alexandria-shooting-steve-scalise/) and at least three others at an early-morning baseball practice in Virginia. “You look at the vulnerability. I can assure you, from this day forward, I have a carry permit, I will be carrying when I’m out and about,” the Republican representative of New York told WKBW, an ABC affiliate in Buffalo. “On a rare occasion I’d have my gun in the glove box or something, but it’s going to be in my pocket from this day forward,” he added. > [](https://twitter.com/Ali2e/status/875017487913562112) Collins’ remarks came after Scalise and congressional aide Zack Barth were [shot](http://time.com/4817818/steve-scalise-alexandria-shooting/) during a GOP baseball practice for an annual charity game that pits Democrats versus Republicans. Scalise is currently in critical condition, according to a statement. The suspected gunman was identified as [James Hodgkinson](http://time.com/4818165/steve-scalise-shooting-suspect-james-hodgkinson/), a 66-year-old Illinois resident who later died from his sustained injuries, according to the Associated Press. Hodgkinson reportedly volunteered for [Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign](http://time.com/4818385/steve-scalise-shooting-james-hodgkinson-bernie-sanders/). The Vermont senator spoke on the House floor Wednesday afternoon, saying he he was “sickened by this despicable act.” Collins blamed Democrats for fueling anger against Donald Trump and the GOP. “I can only hope that the Democrats do tone down the rhetoric,” Collins told[ Buffalo’s WBEN radio](http://buffalonews.com/2017/06/14/collins-indicates-democratic-rhetoric-led-shooting-gop-congressman/). “The rhetoric has been outrageous – the finger-pointing, just the tone and the angst and the anger directed at Donald Trump, his supporters. Really, then, you know, some people react to things like that. They get angry as well. 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