Recordings of emergency calls made during the Connecticut primary school massacre reveal terrified callers being urged to take cover amid gunshots in the background.

America’s largest gun rights lobby declared unwavering opposition to any new restrictions in the aftermath of the Connecticut primary school massacre, accusing the White House of trying to undermine the constitutional right to bear arms.

President Barack Obama is “actively supportive” of reinstating an assault weapons ban, the White House said, as the United States wrestled with the treacherous issue of gun control in the aftermath of the Connecticut primary school massacre.

Prominent gun rights advocates in the US government are now calling for a national discussion about curbing gun violence - signalling that the Connecticut primary school massacre could be a tipping point in a debate dormant for years.