Texas Shooting Is Mental Health, Not Gun Problem, Says Trump
The United States is in mourning after a gunman armed with an assault rifle killed at least 26 people at a church in Texas, among them an 18-month-old baby and elderly worshipper, as debates over the ownership of weapons resurfaced.
Sunday’s shooting came little more than one month after the deadliest shooting in recent US history, when a gunman on October 1 killed 58 people attending a concert in Las Vegas.
As vigils for the dead took place, US President Donald Trump, who is visiting Japan, offered condolences and told reporters on Monday: “We have a lot of mental health problems in our country, but this isn’t a gun situation.”
He described the Texas gunman as “deranged”, saying the shooting represented a “mental health problem at the highest level”.
The shooting took Sunday at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Wilson County, was carried out during the 11:00am (17:00 GMT) service.
Officials said that the 26 victims ranged in age from 18 months to 77 years old.
