Indiana leaders shared thoughts and prayers Saturday after a shooting at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania.
On social media, U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and U.S. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Columbia City) sent prayers to Trump and his family. U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) said “violence is never the answer.”
Indiana Democrats were in the middle of their state convention when news of the shooting first came in. Gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick said there is “no room for violence in political discourse.”
“There’s just other ways to handle disagreement and it’s not through violence,” McCormick said.
Indiana Democratic Party Chair Mike Schmuhl said he was “totally shocked” and called the shooting “scary.”
“Safety of people who are running for public office and putting their name on the ballot — that’s not a partisan issue. That’s just an American issue,” Schmuhl said. “You should be safe in this country to speak your mind.”
In a statement, Republican Party Chair Randy Head said everyone’s thoughts and prayers are with Trump and those at the rally.
Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.