Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney announced Wednesday night that he would be delaying his Senate announcement following a mass shooting in Florida that left 17 dead.
The former Massachusetts governor was originally expected to announce his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in Utah on Thursday, but following a shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla., he announced on Twitter that he would not make an announcement "out of respect for the victims and their families."
"As a father and grandfather, my heart aches for the victims of today’s tragic events. My prayers go out to all of the families and loved ones affected by this senseless act of violence. (1/2)," Romney wrote.
As a father and grandfather, my heart aches for the victims of today’s tragic events. My prayers go out to all of the families and loved ones affected by this senseless act of violence. (1/2)
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) February 15, 2018
"Out of respect for the victims and their families, I will not be making an announcement tomorrow about the Senate race. (2/2)," Romney said.
Out of respect for the victims and their families, I will not be making an announcement tomorrow about the Senate race. (2/2)
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) February 15, 2018
Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who had been expelled for unspecified disciplinary reasons, was arrested after authorities say he opened fire on students and staff Wednesday afternoon, Reuters reported. Of the victims, who were both students and adults, 12 were killed inside the school building, two others just outside, one on the street, and two others died of their injuries at a hospital, according to Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel.