President Barack Obama pledged Saturday that Americans “will not be terrorized” by the threat of mass shootings, but described U.S. gun laws as “insane.”
In his weekly address, he said the victims of the San Bernardino massacre should be honored by ongoing efforts to defend America.
“That’s how we can send a message to all those who would try to hurt us,” he said. “We will uphold our values—a free and open society. We are strong. And we are resilient. And we will not be terrorized.”
He said Wednesday’s deaths were “an absolute tragedy … not just for San Bernardino, but for our country.”
After being briefed Saturday on the latest in the San Bernardino investigation, Obama said in a separate statement that his team "affirmed that they had as of yet uncovered no indication the killers were part of an organized group or formed part of a broader terrorist cell."
Obama on Saturday also spoke with French President Francois Hollande by telephone. Hollande, whose country was rocked by an ISIS-claimed attack in Paris last month, gave his condolences for the San Bernardino tragedy, the White House said.
Obama said in his radio address that the use of military-style assault weapons in the latest mass shooting was “another tragic reminder that here in America it’s way too easy for dangerous people to get their hands on a gun.”
“Right now, people on the No-Fly list can walk into a store and buy a gun. That is insane. If you’re too dangerous to board a plane, you’re too dangerous, by definition, to buy a gun.”
He repeated his call for Congress to close that loophole.
“We may not be able to prevent every tragedy, but—at a bare minimum—we shouldn’t be making it so easy for potential terrorists or criminals to get their hands on a gun that they could use against Americans,” Obama said.
