After the shooting incident at the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington, the leader of the US bishops' conference released a short statement saying there is "no room for violence of any kind."
Archbishop Paul Coakley released the statement on Sunday, after the violence occurred Saturday late evening.
He said:
We are grateful the lives of the President, those who protect him, and everyone in attendance last night were spared from serious harm. Let us all pray for our elected leaders and public officials that they may receive God’s blessings. Because human life is a precious gift, there is no room for violence of any kind in our society.
The gunman was arrested at the scene and the investigation into motives is ongoing. No one was hurt in the incident.
The Washington Hilton Hotel, where the shooting happened, is the same hotel where an attempted assassination left President Ronald Reagan seriously wounded in 1981.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are arriving April 27 to the US as previously scheduled, despite the incident.
