US President Barack Obama today described the shooting in a Colorado theatre this week that claimed 12 lives as an “act of evil”, as he visited Aurora — the city of tragic incident — to meet the victims’ families.
“I come to them not so much as President as I do as a father and as a husband,” Mr Obama told reporters after he met the family members and friends of the victims.
“I tried to assure them that although the perpetrator of this evil act has received a lot of attention over the last couple of days, that attention will fade away and in the end, after he has felt the full force of our justice system, what will be remembered are the good people who were impacted by this tragedy,” he said.
Mr Obama offered hugs, tears and sympathy to survivors of the shooting rampage and to families whose loved ones were shot dead during the premiere of new Batman movie ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ at an Aurora theatre in Denver, Colorado.
The President paid visit — one by one — to families gathered at a hospital and wounded patients recovering in intensive care. He appeared before the TV cameras and kept his focus on the lives of the victims and the survivors, not the sole shooting suspect or his “evil act”.
“I think that the reason stories like this have such an impact on us is because we can all understand what it would be to have somebody that we love taken from us in this fashion — what it would be like and how it would impact us,” he said.
Mr Obama said he confessed to the victims’ families and friends that “words are always inadequate in these kinds of situations”.
The President said his main task was to serve as a representative of the entire country and let them know that they are thinking about them at this moment and will continue to think about them each and every day, and that the awareness that not only all of America but much of the world is thinking about them might serve as some comfort.
Keywords: Colorado, Batman movie premiere, The Dark Knight Rises, Aurora, theatre shootout
Why is it that the US that preaches so many things to other countries,
will do not anything to curb its gun culture ? Year after year many such shootings happen.The US that launches 'war on terror' on other countries should do something to stop this 'internal terrorism'.
I think this matter is really horrible. It signifies that we as people are capable of something so drastic like this. I really hate what happen because we cannot turn back the clock, but i can only pray for the victims and their family. It hurts me to my heart because i am a mother and i wouldnt want my child taken from me ever. I can only imagine how the parents are feeling.
It is really a sad situation; on how we as people can sometime make a horrible mistake that affects this whole world. I have to give President Obama, a hand solute for the speech given to the victims family members and a word of sypathy and encouragement. I know that was a really tough situation for him, but he did a very incredible job. I am still praying for the people that was affected by this greatly, and a word of encouragement. I would say leave this matter to the lord above because he is a very strong and powerful man. To the victims that are struggling for their lives may the lord be with each you.
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