The motives behind James T. Hodgkinson's shooting rampage in Virginia remain unclear aside from his Facebook political rants and reported queries about the party affiliation of the victims he targeted at a GOP congressional baseball practice. But as Virginia Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe told CNN near the scene of the shooting, "Obviously, this man should never have been in possession of a firearm."

No act of political violence is justifiable. The escalation of partisan rancor in America, and resort by extremists to acts of violence in defense of their cause, deserves condemnation by all across the ideological spectrum. It could be a long time before we know what pushed Hodgkinson to move beyond largely innocuous Facebook rants against President Donald Trump to armed action.

Members of Congress seized the moment Wednesday to expound on the need for reducing the political rancor. Democrats applauded Republican speakers, and Republicans applauded Democrats. All condemned the angry atmosphere that prevailed before the attack and praised the heroism of the two Capitol Police officers whose intervention helped avert a massacre.

Hodgkinson's instrument of choice to inflict terror was a military-style assault rifle and handgun. Hodgkinson, 66, of Belleville, was able to fire off 50 or more rounds in quick succession before the two officers could react.

Ironically, GOP members of Congress and staffers were on the Virginia field practicing ahead of Thursday's inter-party baseball game, a century-old annual event that demonstrates friendly competition between Democrats and Republicans.

A second irony was that Hodgkinson's ability to possess his military-style weaponry was enabled and even encouraged by Republican and Democrat lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Those lawmakers have for far too long kowtowed to the National Rifle Association. As gun deaths escalate and police departments around the country - including St. Louis' - complain that they are outgunned on the streets, the NRA fights at every turn against efforts to restrain Americans' right to purchase rapid-fire killing machines.

The NRA's slogan, that "the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun," deserves rethinking. The male and female Capitol Police officers on the scene, providing security for injured House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, were the two "good guys" who stalled Hodgkinson's rampage and averted a massacre. Yet it wasn't until Alexandria, Va., police arrived three minutes later that the shooter was finally brought down.

Even with service weapons at the ready, the two "good guys" were outgunned, and both were wounded as Hodgkinson quickly emptied one clip, reloaded, and fired again.

This cycle of horror can't go on. Lawmakers this time were the targets. They must use this tragedy to defang the NRA and take a smarter look at our nation's ridiculous gun laws.

REPRINTED FROM THE ST LOUIS POST DISPATCH