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President Barack Obama in Fort Myers: 'Such violence, such evil is senseless' FORT MYERS — President Barack Obama cut short a campaign stop in Fort Myers this morning in the wake of the Colorado shootings. "I know many of you came here for a campaign event," Obama said. "I was looking forward to having a fun conversation with you about some really important matters we face as a country. "But this morning we woke up to news of a tragedy that reminds us of all the ways we are united as one American family." Obama focused on the tragedy in his remarks, talking about family, his daughters and America. He said he spoke to Steve Hogan, mayor of Aurora, where the mass shooting at a movie theater happened: "Such violence, such evil is senseless." "There are going to be other days for politics," he said. "This, I think is a day for prayer and reflection." After calling for a moment of silence, Obama said, "I hope all of you will keep the people of Aurora in your hearts and minds today." Hundreds of people began lining up outside an event center to see Obama even as news was spreading of the mass shooting in Colorado. Obama planned head back to the White House immediately afterward. "Events in Aurora, Colorado, have changed the nature of this event," a woman told the audience about 10:35 a.m. "It's the right thing to do. We should all mourn in a situation like this," said Donna Johnston of Naples. Of the shootings she said, "What is wrong with this culture that this goes on? There's so much desperation in this country and for some reason people feel this is the type of thing they have to do to get noticed? Why aren't we noticing him when there are problems to begin with?" "We all would have liked him to say something more, but he is the president of the country and for all the people and this is part of the job. It's appropriate," said Leonard Lowell, 72, of Naples, a registered Republican who said he was supporting Obama because Mitt Romney had gone too far to the right. Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters that the shooting "changed the nature of his remarks this morning as well as the events of the day. He feels this is the appropriate step on that front, and today we are focused on remembering the victims and finding out what happened." White House spokesman Jay Carney added: "It is also the case he wants to be back in Washington to get further updates on this, and I think you can expect that he will upon arrival. Of course, he already has been thoroughly briefed." The final event of Obama's two-day campaign swing through Florida — scheduled for this afternoon in Winter Park — was canceled.