Beto O’Rourke held back tears as he spoke about Saturday’s deadly shooting at a shopping center in El Paso, Texas, on Saturday.
Multiple people were reportedly killed during the shooting at the Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, O’Rourke’s hometown where he was a three-term congressman up until the beginning of this year. Police said they have one suspect in custody.
“We know there has been a lot of injury, a lot of suffering in El Paso right now,” O’Rourke said with emotion during a 2020 campaign event in Las Vegas. “I am incredibly sad, and it is very hard to think about this.”
. @BetoORourke chokes back tears, cutting campaign trip short and heading back to El Paso after shooting. Full statement …. pic.twitter.com/PQg8KSf93R
— David Siders (@davidsiders) August 3, 2019
“But I’ll tell you, El Paso is the strongest place in the world. This community’s going to come together,” O’Rourke added.
O’Rourke was speaking at the 2020 Public Service Forum hosted by AFSCME in Las Vegas. He announced he would be cutting his scheduled appearance short to return to El Paso to be with his family and his hometown.
“I just ask for everyone’s strength for El Paso right now, everyone’s resolve to make sure that this does not continue to happen in this country,” O’Rourke said.
