RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A recent shooting in Hickory, North Carolina, at the home of GOP congressional candidate Pat Harrigan’s parents and young children, left no one injured but caused “a great deal of stress” on Harrigan’s mother’s family in the final weeks of his campaign. said Thursday.
Harrigan, a gun manufacturer and U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, is running against Democratic state Sen. Jeff Jackson for an open U.S. House seat in West Charlotte in North Carolina’s new 14th District. The left-leaning district emerged from a long redistricting battle when North Carolina redrew its congressional map to account for the extra space awarded following the 2020 census.
Political analysts say 2022 map Supports the Republican Party In seven of the state’s 14 counties and six in favor of Democrats, there is one toss-up district in suburban Raleigh.
Marla Harrigan, 74, told The Associated Press on Thursday that she and her husband, James Harrigan, were watching television in the hall when a bullet shattered their laundry room window on the night of Oct. 18. The Hickory Police Department responded to their 911 call and responded to the shooting, according to the police report.
Marla Harrigan said the congressional candidate’s children, ages 3 and 5, were sleeping in the bedroom directly above the room where the shooting happened. A bullet coming from a densely wooded area did not wake the children.
He said the two children have been living with their grandparents in Hickory, about 57 miles northwest of Charlotte, for most of the campaign cycle. “They have been transferred out of state ‘out of caution’ after the shooting,” he said, adding that his son is urging his parents to move out of town as well.
“It’s very confusing, especially with the kids there,” Marla Harrigan told the AP. “This campaign has been very stressful, and we feel really bad for our son, because he’s stressed about his kids … and now that they’re gone, they’re not with their parents, it’s very disruptive.”
Kristen Hart, spokeswoman for the Hickory Police Department, said the department has not made any arrests in connection with the incident and that the investigation is ongoing.
Jordan Shaw, a spokesman for the Harrigan campaign, said the Republican candidate has also received several death threats, which they have turned over to police to help with their investigation.
“I’m focused on fixing the economy, lowering prices and keeping our streets safe,” Harrigan said in a statement Thursday. “And it’s going to take more than bullets and death threats to knock this Green Beret off that mission.”
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Hannah Schoenbaum is a corps member of the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on hidden issues. Follow her on Twitter @H_Schoenbaum.
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