A few hours after a mass shooting that killed six people and injured at least 30 more in the US state of Illinois, one of the men running for governor there said it was time to “move on.” .
“The shooter is still at large, so we pray for justice to prevail and then we continue and celebrate the independence of this nation,” Bailey said in a prayer at an event in Skokie, about 20 minutes away.
Darren Bailey said people should “move on” after the Chicago massacre that took place hours earlier. (AP)
“Bless us and protect us as we make our day by celebrating the most amazing country.”
Shortly afterwards he apologized for his comments.
“I am shattered by the tragic events of today and the pain and loss I felt so much,” he said in a statement.
“My intention was to pray for the victims and those affected by today’s tragedy and for the shooter to be caught and prosecuted without further loss.”
Following the shooting, Bailey’s opponent, JB Pritzker, said “prayers alone will not end the terror of rampant armed violence” in the US. JB Pritzker is running for re-election as governor of Illinois. (AP)
“If you’re angry today, I’m here to tell you to be angry,” he said.
“While we celebrate July 4 only once a year, mass shootings have become our weekly tradition.”
The named suspect in the Chicago shooting has since been arrested.
Republicans believed that the rate of assassinations in Chicago would put the race for governor in the November election within reach.
Darren Bailey is running a Conservative campaign for governor in the progressive state of Illinois. (AP)
But Bailey’s nomination has created a serious headache for the Democratic-leaning state party.
Bailey, who hails from a northern region of the state near Kentucky, has focused his campaign on more flexible arms regulations, criminalizing abortion, and opposing COVID-19 security measures.
The right-wing politician received the support of Donald Trump, who lost the state by more than a million votes in 2020.
Bailey won the Republican primaries convincingly last week.
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