It is an ‘act of pure evil’ Carnage in Vegas
Trump declares nation will rally together in face of latest violence
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump condemned the largest mass shooting in modern US history as an “act of pure evil” and said the nation was “joined together in sadness, shock and grief ” after more than 50 people were gunned down in Las Vegas.
The US president took to Twitter to offer his “warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families”. He said he would be going to Las Vegas tomorrow “on a very, very sad moment for me ... for everybody no matter where you are, no matter what your thought process”.
Speaking slowly and sombrely from the White House, Trump declared that the nation would rally together in the face of the latest act of senseless violence.
“Our unity cannot be shattered by evil, our bonds cannot be broken by violence,” the president said. “We call upon the bonds that unite us: our faith, our family, and our shared values. We call upon the bonds of citizenship, the ties of community and the comfort of our common humanity.”
In the measured statement, Trump did not describe the gunman in any way or suggest any possible motivation or affiliation.
He praised the first responders who he said prevented further loss of life.
He offered condolences to the families of those killed, saying, “We cannot fathom their pain. We cannot imagine their loss.”
“We are praying for you,” he said. “We are here for you.”
He also ordered that the American flag at the White House and at all public buildings across the nation be flown at half-staff.
Trump, who quoted from Scripture and invoked God several times, said he prays for the day when the “innocent are safe from hatred and from fear”.
“At times such as these I know we are searching for some type of meaning in the chaos, some kind of light in the darkness.
“The answers will not come easy,” the president said.
Unlike his predecessor, Barack Obama, who used mass shootings to call for stricter gun control measures, Trump made no mention of firearms restrictions yesterday.
But in the hours after the Las Vegas shooting, the familiar gun control debate emerged, once again breaking down along party lines.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut said it was time for Congress to end its inaction that followed other major incidents, including the one in Orlando and the 2012 school shooting in his home state.
Republican Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, an Iraq War vet, said he would not participate in a moment of silence for those lost because it “becomes an excuse for inaction”. — Agencies