>> I WILL BE SPEAKING WITH THE
MAYOR ON THE AIRCRAFT.
WE’RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH
THE STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCE
MNTD OWE
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS.
THEY’RE GOING TO KEEP ME
UPDATED.
YOU ARE GOING TO ASK ME TO
SPECULATE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED,
WHY IT HAPPENED.
I’M NOT GOING TO DO THAT NOW
BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE ALL THE
INFORMATION.
NOT UNTIL I HAVE ALL THE FACTS.
BUT I DO KNOW THIS.
AS PRESIDENT, I AM GOING TO USE
ALL THE RESOURCES AT MY DISPOSAL
TO KEEP THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
SAFE.
AS I SAID, AT THIS MOMENT, A
GREAT DEAL REMAINS UNKNOWN.
BUT THREE THINGS ARE CERTAIN.
FIRST, TEN LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST
AND MORE FAMILIES HAVE BEEN
SHATTERED BY GUN VIOLENCE IN THE
STATE OF COLORADO.
JILL AND I ARE DEVASTATED.
THE FEELING -- I JUST CAN’T
IMAGINE HOW THE FAMILIES ARE
FEELING, THE VICTIMS WHOSE
FUTURES WERE STOLEN FROM THEM,
FROM THEIR FAMILIES, FROM THEIR
LOVED ONES WHO NOW HAVE TO
STRUGGLE TO GO ON AND TRY TO
MAKE SENSE OF WHAT’S HAPPENED.
LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER THE
HORRIFIC MURDERS OF EIGHT PEOPLE
AND THE ASSAULT ON THE AAPI
COMMUNITY IF GEORGIA, WHILE THE
FLAG WAS STILL FLYING HALF STAFF
FOR THE TRAGEDY, ANOTHER
AMERICAN CITY HAS BEEN SCARRED
BY GUN VIOLENCE AND RESULTING
TRAUMA.
IN A STATE THAT I HATE TO SAY
IT, BECAUSE WE WERE SAYING SO
OFTEN, MY HEART GOES OUT.
OUR HEARTS GO OUT FOR THE
SURVIVORS WHO HAD TO FLEE FOR
THEIR LIVES AND WHO HID,
TERRIFIED, UNSURE IF THEY WERE
WOULD EVER SEE THEIR FAMILIES
AGAIN, THEIR FRIENDS AGAIN.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF ALL THIS ARE
DEEPER THAN I SUSPECT WE KNOW.
BY THAT I MEAN, THE MENTAL
CONSEQUENCES.
THE FEELING OF -- IT’S JUST --
BEEN THROUGH TOO MANY OF THESE.
THE SECOND THING, MY DEEPEST
THANKS TO THE FIRST RESPONDERS
AND POLICE WHO REACTED SO
QUICKLY TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION
AND KEEP THE MEMBERS OF THEIR
COMMUNITY SAFE.
STATE THE OBVIOUS, I COMMEND THE
EXCEPTIONAL BRAVERY OF OFFICER
ERIC TALLEY.
I SEND MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO
HIS FAMILY, HIS CLOSE FAMILY OF
SEVEN CHILDREN.
WHEN HE PINNED ON THAT BADGE
YESTERDAY MORNING, HE DIDN’T
KNOW WHAT THE DAY WOULD BRING.
I WANT EVERYBODY TO THINK ABOUT
THIS.
EVERY TIME AN OFFICER WALKS OUT
OF HIS OR HER HOME, PINS THAT
BADGE ON, A FAMILY MEMBER THEY
SAID GOOD-BYE TO WONDER WHETHER
THEY WILL GET THAT CALL, THAT
CALL THAT HIS WIFE GOT.
I THOUGHT HE WOULD COME HOME TO
HIS FAMILY AND HIS SEVEN
CHILDREN.
IN THE MOMENT THE ACT CAME,
OFFICER TALLEY DID NOT HESITATE
IN HIS DUTY, MAKING THE ULTIMATE
SACRIFICE IN HIS EFFORT TO SAVE
LIVES.
THAT’S A DEFINITION OF AN
AMERICAN HERO.
THIRDLY, I WANT TO BE VERY
CLEAR.
THIS IS THE ONE THING I DO KNOW
ENOUGH TO SAY ON IN TERMS OF
WHAT’S HAPPENED THERE.
WHILE WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR
MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE
SHOOTER, HIS MOTIVE, THE WEAPONS
HE USED, THE GUNS, THE
MAGAZINES, WEAPONS,
MODIFICATIONS THAT APPARENTLY
HAVE TAKEN PLACE TO THOSE
WEAPONS THAT ARE INVOLVED HERE,
I DON’T NEED TO WAIT ANOTHER
MINUTE LET ALONE AN HOUR TO TAKE
COMMON SENSE STEPS THAT WILL
SAVE THE LIVES IN THE FUTURE AND
TO URGE MY COLLEAGUES IN THE
HOUSE AND SENATE TO ACT.
WE CAN BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS AND
HIGH CAPACITY MAGAZINES IN THIS
COUNTRY ONCE AGAIN.
I GOT THAT DONE WHEN I WAS A
SENATOR.
IT PASSED.
IT WAS A LAW FOR THE LONGEST
TIME.
AND IT BROUGHT DOWN THESE MASS
KILLINGS.
WE SHOULD DO IT AGAIN.
WE CAN CLOSE THE LOOPHOLES IN
OUR BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM,
INCLUDING THE CHARLESTON
LOOPHOLE.
THAT’S ONE OF THE BEST TOOLS WE
HAVE RIGHT NOW TO PREVENT GUN
VIOLENCE.
THE SENATE SHOULD IMMEDIATELY
PASS -- LET ME SAY IT AGAIN.
THE UNITED STATES SENATE -- I
HOPE SOME ARE LISTENING --
SHOULD IMMEDIATELY PASS THE TWO
HOUSE PASS BILLS TO CLOSE
LOOPHOLES IN THE BACKGROUND
CHECK SYSTEM.
THESE ARE BILLS THAT RECEIVE
VOTES FROM REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE.
THIS IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE A
PARTISAN ISSUE.
THIS IS AN AMERICAN ISSUE.
IT WILL SAVE LIVES, AMERICAN
LIVES.
WE HAVE TO ACT.
WE SHOULD ALSO BAN ASSAULT
WEAPONS IN THE PROCESS.
I WILL HAVE MORE TO SAY AS WE
LEARN MORE.
BUT I WANTED TO BE CLEAR.
THOSE POOR FOLKS WHO DIED LEFT
BEHIND FAMILIES THAT LEAVES A
BIG HOLE IN THEIR HEART SS AND -
AND WE CAN SAVE LIVES,
INCREASING THE BACKGROUND CHECKS
LIKE THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO OCCUR
AND ELIMINATING ASSAULT WEAPONS
AND THE SIZE OF MAGAZINES.
WE DON’T KNOW ALL THE DETAIL ON
THAT YET.
I WILL BE TALKING TO YOU MORE
LATER TODAY OR IN THE NEXT
COUPLE DAYS ABOUT WHAT ELSE WE
KNOW.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND THOSE
FAMILIES WHO ARE MOURNING TODAY
BECAUSE OF GUN VIOLENCE IN
COLORADO AND GEORGIA AND ALL
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE TO ACT SO THERE’S NOT