I just saw this on CNN, and just thought I would pass on the news, since I did not see any other diaries about this. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon serves part of Philadelphia and surrounding some suburbs.
According to the CNN article, this incident occurred in Philadelphia at FDR Park following a meeting in the area. She was apparently unhurt, but the suspect managed to steal her car. The thieves also took her personal and government cell phones and her ID.
She released the following statement afterward—
At this time, there is no information I could find about who her attackers were, or if there was a motive beyond simple theft—although the fact that they took her phones and her ID seems kind of suspicious.
Thank goodness she was not physically harmed—and hopefully, this incident was not a politically motivated attack.
Thursday, Dec 23, 2021 · 12:29:18 PM +00:00 · tonyahky
Update x2 Apparently Rep. Scanlon is not the only Democratic lawmaker who has been carjacked in the last few days—Illinois State Rep. Kimberly Lightford was attacked Tuesday night as well.
At this time, the available evidence, however, seems to point to both of these incidents being “just” plain robberies—not politically motivated in any way.
However, both of these crimes were committed with guns—this is yet more evidence that there are far, far too many guns on the streets in this country.
Thursday, Dec 23, 2021 · 9:13:28 PM +00:00 · tonyahky
Update x3 The carjackers have been arrested—apparently this was a bunch of young kids—a 19 year old has been charged, and the other four who were arrested were minors. The other attacker is still at large, and no information was given about his identity.
This again proves that we not only need better gun control laws, we also need better—and far more extensive—programs available to help disadvantaged young people, in order to help keep more teenagers from becoming involved in criminal activity such as this.