Romney delays Senate campaign announcement after Florida school shooting
Former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is cancelling his scheduled Thursday announcement in which he was expected to launch his Senate campaign, following the shooting in South Florida that left 17 students dead Wednesday afternoon. Romney had been expected to announce Thursday afternoon that he is running for the U.S. Senate in Utah, sources had confirmed earlier.
Out of respect for the victims and their families, I will not be making an announcement tomorrow about the Senate race. (2/2)
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) February 15, 2018
A source told CBS News he planned to make the announcement with a video announcement via social media. A source familiar with Romney's thinking confirmed the announcement plan earlier Wednesday. The former Massachusetts governor is looking to replace Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who has served as the state's senator for more than four decades.
But Wednesday's deadly shooting upended that announcement. Police have identified the man suspected of killing 17 students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School as former student Nikolas Cruz, 19. Cruz. The suspect, according to a law enforcement source briefed on the matter, apparently pulled the school fire alarm, creating chaos before starting shooting, CBS News senior investigative producer Pat Milton reports. Many more students were injured.
It's unclear when Romney will reschedule his announcement at this time.