Presidential Candidates React To San Bernardino Shooting

Cache Of Weapons, Explosives At Calif. Suspects' Home
Family members and friends await word about loved ones in the aftermath of the mass shooting Wednesday at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, Calif. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (UPI) — GOP presidential hopefuls offered thoughts and prayers for the victims of a mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., while Democratic candidates called for an end to such massacres.

Wednesday morning’s shooting at the Inland Regional Center left 14 dead and 17 people wounded. The Los Angeles Times reported police killed two armed suspects: Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik.

As the search for suspects unfolded Wednesday evening, several candidates on the right side of the field offered “thoughts and prayers” on Twitter. Candidates like Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Rand Paul, Dr. Ben Carson, Sen. Lindsey Graham, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said they were praying for families and first responders affected.

Front-runner Donald Trump tweeted several times lauding police officers who responded to the scene, saying “give credit where credit is due.” Trump also said his Wednesday evening rally in Manassas, Va., would observe a moment of silence for the victims.

GOP candidates like Sen. Marco Rubio and Carly Fiorina remained silent on the shooting Wednesday evening. Fiorina’s campaign hosted a live Q&A on Periscope, while Rubio was in Missouri, filing to appear on the primary ballot.

By contrast, Democratic candidates expressed anguish and anger at yet another mass shooting, less than a week after a shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colo. that left three dead.

“I refuse to accept this as normal,” tweeted Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “We must take action stop gun violence now.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders called the frequency of mass shooting in America “sickening” and likewise called for an end to gun violence.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley called the shooting “horrifying” and doubled down on his vow to take on the NRA.

The New York Daily News called out politicians who have vowed to offer “thoughts and prayers” for shooting victims in light of Wednesday’s shooting. The broadsheet’s Thursday front page reads “God isn’t fixing this” in bold letters, surrounded by images of tweets by Cruz, Graham, Paul and House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Also on Twitter Wednesday, Think Progress contributing editor Igor Volsky highlighted the reactions of candidates to the shooting, contrasting them with NRA donations to their respective campaigns. Not limiting his Twitter tear to presidential candidates, Volsky took aim at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who received $922,000 from the NRA for his re-election campaign. On Wednesday afternoon, McConnell tweeted “The senseless loss of innocent life in #SanBernardino defies explanation. Our thoughts are w/ the victims & their families”

According to the website shootingtracker.com, Wednesday’s shooting is the 353rd mass shooting in America this year.

 

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