MAVOCKE--The United States is grieving after Friday's deadly shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut, which ended in the deaths of 20 children and six adults.
US President Barack Obama flew to Connecticut for a memorial service in the small town of Newtown, where the shooting occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Mr. Obama comforted the families of the victims, and pledged he would "engage" the American public in a pragmatic discussion about gun violence.
"We can't tolerate this anymore," Mr. Obama said. "These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change."
Connecticut's shooting was only the recent in a string of deadly mass shootings in the US. Just three days prior, 22-year-old Jacob Tyler Roberts opened fire inside a busy shopping centre near Portland, Oregon, killing two and himself.
And on July 20, 2012, James Holmes, age 24, opened fire inside a packed Aurora, Colorado movie theatre during a midnight premier of The Dark Knight Rises. Holmes killed 12, and injured almost 60 others during his rampage. He was arrested by police and is now facing multiple counts of 1st degree murder and attempted murder.
In the Connecticut case, police say a sole gunman, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, shot his mother while she was sleeping in her Newtown home, and then drove to the elementary school, where Lanza's mother worked as a substitute teacher, and opened fire inside classrooms, killing 20 children, mostly ages six and seven, and six teachers and staff members.
Lanza then fatally shot himself when he realized police were entering the school, police say.
At Sunday night's memorial service, Mr. Obama was visibly emotional, wiping tears away, and quoting scripture.
"Scripture tells us, 'do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For light and momentary troubles are achieving for us eternal glory that far outweigh them all,'" the president said.
To the families of the victims, he gave comfort.
"I am very mindful that mere words cannot reach the depths of your sorrow, nor can they heal your wounded hearts. I can only hope it helps for you to know that you are not alone in your grief. That our world too has been torn apart, that all across this land of our's we have wept with you, we've pulled our children tight," Mr. Obama said.
During his speech, Mr. Obama did not even use the word "gun," and he did not explicitly call for stricter gun laws, though many believe when he called for "change," he was indicating that action should be taken to further gun control laws.
In Mavocke, Grassadellian President Brenton Menuhaeo told the GBC's Sylvia Swenson in an interview at Collester that he is "appalled" at the tragedy, and his heart "aches" for the families of the victims.
"These sorts of tragedies happen all too often, unfortunately, and I saw what happened in Connecticut and I was appalled at the horror, at the violence, at the lack of humanity that the gunman, troubled as he was, displayed. And my heart aches for the families of those children and teachers. And we as a nation, Grassadellians, we mourn with our American friends this deep loss they have experienced in such a tragic episode," Menuhaeo said.
Grassadellia's ambassador to the United States, James Alexander, attended a separate memorial service Saturday evening in Washington, D.C.
Alexander told the National Press Federation he was saddened at the tragedy, but was amazed at the compassion of the American people.
"What happened yesterday was so abhorrent and so tragic, it's beyond words, really. But what amazes me is the compassion of the American people, the way that they come together as one country and mourn together and celebrate the lives of those that were lost. And the generosity of spirit is truly astonishing," Alexander said.
Both the National Assembly and the Senate are scheduled to open Monday with a moment of silence to honour the victims.
US President Barack Obama flew to Connecticut for a memorial service in the small town of Newtown, where the shooting occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Mr. Obama comforted the families of the victims, and pledged he would "engage" the American public in a pragmatic discussion about gun violence.
"We can't tolerate this anymore," Mr. Obama said. "These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change."
Connecticut's shooting was only the recent in a string of deadly mass shootings in the US. Just three days prior, 22-year-old Jacob Tyler Roberts opened fire inside a busy shopping centre near Portland, Oregon, killing two and himself.
And on July 20, 2012, James Holmes, age 24, opened fire inside a packed Aurora, Colorado movie theatre during a midnight premier of The Dark Knight Rises. Holmes killed 12, and injured almost 60 others during his rampage. He was arrested by police and is now facing multiple counts of 1st degree murder and attempted murder.
In the Connecticut case, police say a sole gunman, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, shot his mother while she was sleeping in her Newtown home, and then drove to the elementary school, where Lanza's mother worked as a substitute teacher, and opened fire inside classrooms, killing 20 children, mostly ages six and seven, and six teachers and staff members.
Lanza then fatally shot himself when he realized police were entering the school, police say.
At Sunday night's memorial service, Mr. Obama was visibly emotional, wiping tears away, and quoting scripture.
"Scripture tells us, 'do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For light and momentary troubles are achieving for us eternal glory that far outweigh them all,'" the president said.
To the families of the victims, he gave comfort.
"I am very mindful that mere words cannot reach the depths of your sorrow, nor can they heal your wounded hearts. I can only hope it helps for you to know that you are not alone in your grief. That our world too has been torn apart, that all across this land of our's we have wept with you, we've pulled our children tight," Mr. Obama said.
During his speech, Mr. Obama did not even use the word "gun," and he did not explicitly call for stricter gun laws, though many believe when he called for "change," he was indicating that action should be taken to further gun control laws.
In Mavocke, Grassadellian President Brenton Menuhaeo told the GBC's Sylvia Swenson in an interview at Collester that he is "appalled" at the tragedy, and his heart "aches" for the families of the victims.
"These sorts of tragedies happen all too often, unfortunately, and I saw what happened in Connecticut and I was appalled at the horror, at the violence, at the lack of humanity that the gunman, troubled as he was, displayed. And my heart aches for the families of those children and teachers. And we as a nation, Grassadellians, we mourn with our American friends this deep loss they have experienced in such a tragic episode," Menuhaeo said.
Grassadellia's ambassador to the United States, James Alexander, attended a separate memorial service Saturday evening in Washington, D.C.
Alexander told the National Press Federation he was saddened at the tragedy, but was amazed at the compassion of the American people.
"What happened yesterday was so abhorrent and so tragic, it's beyond words, really. But what amazes me is the compassion of the American people, the way that they come together as one country and mourn together and celebrate the lives of those that were lost. And the generosity of spirit is truly astonishing," Alexander said.
Both the National Assembly and the Senate are scheduled to open Monday with a moment of silence to honour the victims.
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