Obama calls Connecticut school shooting as ‘worst day of presidency’

Washington: President Barack Obama has described the Connecticut school shooting as ‘the worst day of his presidency’. Nearly 20 kids and six adults were killed after Adam Lanza went on the rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown on December 14.

Obama also pledged to put his ‘full weight’ behind a legislative package next year aimed at tackling gun violence, the Daily Mirror reports. In an interview with NBC television``s Meet the Press, Obama voiced skepticism about the proposal by the National Rifle Association, the leading gun rights lobby group, to place armed guards at schools in the aftermath the shooting. Instead, Obama vowed to rally the American people around an agenda to limit gun violence, adding that he still supports increased background checks and bans on assault weapons and high capacity bullet magazines, the report said. He left no doubt it will be one of his top priorities next year. He added that he is ready to meet with Republicans and Democrats, anyone with a stake in the issue. The school shootings immediately prompted calls for greater gun controls. The president said he intends to press the issue with the public. Separately, a member of the president``s cabinet said that rural America may be ready to join a national conversation about gun control, the report added. ANI