Connecticut lawmakers are reacting to the deadly shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper building in Annapolis, Maryland.
Five people were killed and several others "gravely injured" when a suspect opened fire at the newspaper’s offices Thursday. The suspect is in police custody and authorities are interrogating him.
The names of the dead have not yet been released.
Thursday night Gov. Dannel Malloy released a statement standing behind the victims and offering condolences.
“A free press is one of the cornerstones of our democracy,” Malloy said in a statement. “They dedicate their lives to informing and empowering our citizenry. We mourn for the victims lost in today’s senseless mass shooting and grieve with the loved ones they left behind. We struggle to understand the inertia of Congress and President Trump when these shootings seem to happen at an ever increasing frequency. And we stand in solidarity with every journalist who fights day in and day out for the truth and for accountability of those in power.”
Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman also offered her sympathies.
“My thoughts are with the family and friends of those who were killed, and with all the victims of today's shooting. I want to thank the first responders who acted so quickly to save lives in a situation that is both terrifying and becoming all too common—this is another horrific act of gun violence that has traumatized yet another community and taken more lives from us. I stand with millions of Americans in asking what it will take for our elected leaders to stand up for public safety," she wrote.
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Connecticut senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy also released statements, both decrying gun violence and pushing for change.
“The scenes in Annapolis are heartbreaking, as another painful tragedy unfolds. Our hearts and prayers again go to loved ones of victims and survivors. And yet again, that remains maddeningly inadequate. The shooting at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis is the 195th mass shooting of 2018. It’s the 176th day of the year. We cannot accept this murderous gun violence as normal,” Blumenthal said in a statement.
“Every day, reporters, editors, and producers come to work and perform a profound public service for our nation. They should never have to face the fear of being shot in their own newsroom.”
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“My heart breaks for the victims and staff at the Capital Gazette. As we wait to learn all the facts of how and why this tragedy occurred, let me say that American society relies on an informed citizenry, and that can only happen because of the dedicated journalists out there reporting the facts. A free press must not only mean freedom to publish, but freedom from intimidation or violence as a consequence of doing their jobs,” said Murphy.
“I’m sick and tired of this. My colleagues have accepted horrific mass violence and made the deliberate choice to do nothing about it. If politicians wanted to reduce gun violence, they would do their jobs and pass laws that we know would make a difference,” Murphy added. “On behalf of today’s victims in Annapolis, and the dozens of victims in cities across the country today, I will never stop fighting to drag Congress toward commonsense solutions that close loopholes and save lives.”
