Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Gov. Tom Wolf canceled a series of campaign events with other state Democratic candidates Saturday in light of the shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue earlier in the morning.
Eleven people were killed and six injured in Saturday morning’s shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania man Robert Bowers, 46, of suburban Baldwin, faces 29 charges in connection to the rampage.
The four Democratic rallies in Western Pennsylvania, which were to focus on “what’s at stake in this election and the importance of getting out to vote on November 6th,” were called off with no notice on rescheduling, according to statements from the Casey campaign.
President Donald Trump stuck to his campaign plans saying “we don’t want to let people that are evil change our lives.”
At a rally in Murphysboro, Illinois, Saturday afternoon, the President said: “This evil anti-Semitic attack is an assault on all of us. It’s an assault on humanity. It will require all of us working together to extract the hateful poison of anti-Semitism from the world.”
Wolf, a one-term Democrat, leads Republican candidate Scott Wagner, a steadfast supporter of President Donald Trump, by about 17 points in recent polls.
Wagner said his campaign would suspend its activities Saturday in a statement condemning the attack and praising law enforcement.
“Tracy and I offer our condolences to the families of the victims whose lives were lost today in Squirrel Hill,” Wagner said in a statement provided to CNN. “This type of violence is sickening and has no place in our society.”
Casey’s seat is still projected as likely to go to Democrats, as it has been for most of the year, according to a recent CNN poll. The two-term incumbent leads Republican Rep. Lou Barletta by about 16 points in recent polls.
Barletta issued a statement condemning the attack but did not immediately return a request for comment on his Saturday campaign schedule.