Obama cries for young victims
“As a country, we have been through this too many times,” he said in an emotional address to the nation from the White House.
He spoke as police continued to investigate the circumstances behind the mass shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, about 96km north-east of New York City.
Obama, referring to Connecticut state governor Dannel Malloy, continued: “I offer Governor Malloy my condolences on behalf of the nation, and made it clear he will have every single resource that he needs to investigate this heinous crime, care for the victims, counsel their families.
“We endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. And each time I learn the news, I react not as a president, but as anybody else would, as a parent. And that was especially true today. I know there is not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do.
“The majority of those who died today were children. Beautiful little kids between the ages of five and 10 years old.”
The president paused for some seconds and wiped away tears before continuing: “They had their entire lives ahead of them. Birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers, men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfil their dreams.”
He said America would have “to take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics”.
