Trump says school shootings have been ‘going on too long’ after gunman kills ten in Texas – and promises to keep ‘weapons out of the wrong hands’
President began speech on prison reform by expressing sympathy for victims at a Texas high school
Lone gunman killed 8 in an art classroom, yelling ‘Surprise!’ as he burst in
Trump says ‘this has been going on too long in our country’ but steers away from gun control discussion
Pledged his administration will ‘do everything in our power … to keep weapons out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves and to others’
Gun control could be a flashpoint issue in the November midterm elections
GOP strategist says mass-shootings in the news can only hurt Republicans, ‘like terror attacks, if you’re a Democrat’
By DAVID MARTOSKO
DAILYMAIL.COM
18 May 2018
A somber Donald Trump began a planned White House prison-reform event on Friday with expressions of ‘sadness and heartbreak’ for victims of a school shooting in Texas that left eight people dead a few hours earlier.
‘This has been going on too long in our country – too many years, too many decades now,’ the president said.
He did not specifically mention firearms or gun control, but did pledge that his administration will ‘do everything in our power to protect our students, secure our schools, and to keep weapons out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves and to others.’
The president, head hung low, pronounced it a ‘very sad day. Very, very sad.’
The White House said afterward that Trump had already spoken with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to offer his condolences, pledging to provide federal assistance.
Trump had tweeted a brief message about the massacre already, writing: ‘School shooting in Texas. Early reports not loking good. God bless all!’
First lady Melania Trump, still recovering from kidney surgery, wrote on Twitter: ‘My heart goes out to Santa Fe and all of Texas today.’
Police took a single gunman into custody Friday morning after he opened fire in an art classroom at Santa Fe High School in Harris County.
Witnesses described how the killer burst through a classroom door and yelled ‘Surprise!’ before shooting his classmates.
Law enforcement officials were sweeping the campus for possible explosives after students reported seeing the gunman toss something into a classroom.
Gun control, a potent political hot potato even when the U.S. isn’t focused on condolences, has the potential to become a defining issue in the November midterm elections.
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