As the country reels following Friday's tragic theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is putting politics on the backburner.
On Friday morning, the former Massachusetts governor spoke out in Concord, New Hampshire about the horrific killing spree that took place at a movie theater screening of The Dark Knight Rises, during which gunman James Holmes, 24, killed 12 people and injured 38 more.
"Our hearts break with the sadness of this unspeakable tragedy. . . . Ann and I join the president and first lady and all Americans in offering our deepest condolences for those whose lives were shattered in a few moments . . . of evil in Colorado," Romney, 65, said. "I stand before you today not as a man running for office, but as a father and grandfather, a husband an American. This is a time for each of us to look into our hearts and remember how much we love one another and how much we love and how much we care for our great country. There's so much love and goodness in the heart of America."
Added the GOP candidate, "Our hearts break for the victims and their families. We pray that the wounded will recover and that those who are grieving will know the nearness of God."
In the wake of such a senseless tragedy, Romney admitted he — like so many other citizens — feels "helpless."
"But there is something we can do," he urged listeners. "We can offer comfort to someone near us who is suffering or heavy laden, and we can mourn [with] those who mourn in Colorado."
In the wake of Friday's massacre, "each one of us will hold our kids a little closer, linger a little bit longer with a colleague or a neighbor, reach out to a family member or friend," Romney said. "We'll all spend a little less time thinking about the worries of our day and more time wondering about how to help those who are in need of compassion most. . . . We will show our fellow citizens the good heart of the America we know and love."
