Obama vows to tackle gun violence after cinema attack

President Barack Obama pledged to work with leaders on all sides to “arrive at a consensus” on how to reduce gun crime across the US after the Colorado shootings drew attention to the issue in an election year.

“Every day and a half the number of young people we lose to violence is about the same as the number of people we lost in that movie theatre,” he said in remarks to the National Urban League — a group that works to promote civil rights and economic improvement for African-Americans.

“I’m going to continue to work with members of both parties and with religious groups and with civic organisations to arrive at a consensus around violence reduction.”

Discussing or even touching on the issue of gun control during an election year is risky, and Obama has been careful to avoid making proposals that could offend gun owners and rally his Republican opponents.

He made a point of emphasising his support for the US Constitution’s Second Amendment, which covers the right to bear arms.

“We recognise the traditions of gun ownership that passed on from generation to generation, that hunting and shooting are part of a cherished national heritage,” Obama said.

“But I also believe that a lot of gun owners would agree that AK-47s belong in the hands of soldiers, not in the hands of criminals. That they belong on the battlefield of war, not on the streets of our cities.”

Obama did not make any new proposals on gun control in his remarks, though he said background checks for people seeking to buy firearms were more thorough since he took office.

Obama’s opponent in the Nov 6 election, Republican, Mitt Romney said earlier this week that additional laws would not have stopped the massacre in Colorado. The former governor of Massachusetts has backed gun control measures in the past.