A Republican House candidate in North Carolina blamed the country’s politically charged environment and his opponent on Friday for a gunshot that was fired at his parents’ house while his children were sleeping last month.
Firearms manufacturer Pat Harrigan (R), who’s running to represent the 14th Congressional District, said the current political climate is politics at its worst and blamed the incident on his opponent, state Sen. Jeff Jackson (D), who filmed an attack video outside Harrigan’s house last month. The shooting resulted in no injuries but left his family severely shaken.
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“I think the most important thing to say is everybody’s safe at this point,” Harrigan told Fox News. “This is politics at its worst, and the reason it’s this way is because my opponent is desperate to do anything that he possibly can to talk about anything other than what actually matters in this campaign.”
The shot fired at Harrigan’s parents’ home just barely missed a room where his children were sleeping, the North Carolina hopeful said. His children, aged 3 and 5, were staying with his parents while he campaigned. The children have been relocated out of the state, according to the Washington Post.
“As a former Green Beret, I’m used to getting shot at. I’m OK with getting shot at. I’m not OK with my family getting shot at. It’s another level,” Harrigan said.
Harrigan has also taken new measures for his own safety, including wearing a bulletproof vest. Jackson’s campaign has since taken down the video that showed Harrigan’s house and his family. However, the ad did not show his parents’ house where the shooting happened.
“This was followed up by my opponent, utilizing very poor judgment to actually shoot an ad out in front of one of my homes and display that home for all to see in the world. I mean, in the era of Steve Scalise and Brett Kavanaugh and now Paul Pelosi, this is just unbelievable to me,” Harrigan said.
Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), was attacked with a hammer while at the couple’s residence in San Francisco last week. He was hospitalized for severe injuries to his hand and arm and underwent surgery for a skull fracture but has since been released. Nancy Pelosi, who was the man’s target, was in Washington at the time of the attack.
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Last month’s incident was not the first time Harrigan had received credible threats to his life this campaign season. A spokesperson for the congressional hopeful said the campaign had turned over multiple death threats to the local police to aid in their investigation into the shooting. No suspect has been arrested so far.
Despite the scare last month, Harrigan said he is continuing his campaign. Harrigan’s district encompasses south and west Charlotte as well as most of the eastern part of Gaston County, and the race is predicted to be “likely Democrat,” according to RealClearPolitics. Both candidates are veterans.
