More needs to be done to protect children: Trump

US president makes moves after last week’s shooting

US president Donald Trump has directed the justice department to move to ban devices like the rapid-fire bump stocks used in last year’s Las Vegas massacre.

The move comes as a Florida community grieving over the deaths of 17 people in a high school shooting last week demanded tougher gun control.

Mr Trump said: “We must do more to protect our children,” adding that his administration was working hard to respond to the shooting.

Former pupil Nikolas Cruz, 19, has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder over the shootings on Valentine’s Day. After past mass killings yielded little action on tighter gun controls, the White House is trying to demonstrate that it is taking the issue seriously.

The president, a strong and vocal supporter of gun rights, has not endorsed more robust changes sought by gun control activists. But the White House cast the president in recent days as having been swayed by the school shooting in Florida and willing to listen to proposals.

In a tweet on Tuesday night, Mr Trump indicated he wants to strengthen the background check system, but offered no specifics.

He said: “Whether we are Republican or Democrat, we must now focus on strengthening Background Checks!”

When asked if Mr Trump was open to reinstating a ban on assault-type weapons, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said officials “haven’t closed the door on any front”.

She also said that the idea of raising the age limit to buy an AR-15 rifle was “on the table for us to discuss”.