“I tried to reassure them that although the perpetrator of this evil act
has received a lot of attention over the last couple of days that attention
will fade away,” he said. “What people will remember will be the
good people that were impacted by this tragedy.”
As an example he singled out Allie Young and Stephanie Davis, a pair of
friends who were in theatre 9 on Friday night. As James Holmes hurled his
first gas canister 19-year-old Ali rose to her feet and was shot in the
throat. Stephanie, 21, leapt to the floor with her as she fell, using one
hand to stem the bleeding while calling 911 with the other and refused to
leave her friend’s side even as armed police burst onto the scene.
“Because of Stephanie’s actions I just had a conversation with Allie
downstairs and she’s going to be fine,” said Mr Obama, who looked
emotional as he spoke in front of a row of public officials.
“As heartbreaking as this is for the families it’s worth us spending most
of our time reflecting on young Americans like Allie and Stephanie because
they represent what’s best in us and they assure us that out of this
darkness a better day is going to come,” he added.
Mr Obama said he came to Aurora less as a president and more as father and a
husband. And while he called for reflection on “how we can do something
about the senseless violence that continues to mar this country” he
gave no indication that he was prepared to embark on a politically risky
push for stronger gun controls.
In a briefing before the President’s remarks, White House Press Secretary Jay
Carney said the administration would focusing on keeping guns “out of
the hands of people who should not have them under existing law” rather
than pass new legislation.
Mr Carney also said the White House would not take up the fight to renew the
ban on assault weapons which expired in 2004.
“We need to take steps that protect Second Amendment rights of the
American people but that ensure that we are not allowing weapons into the
hands of individuals who should not, by existing law, obtain those weapons,”
he said.
The Colorado shooting was the second mass gun killing since Mr Obama took
office, following the shooting in Tucson, Arizona, that left six dead and
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords badly injured.
Both Mr Obama and Mitt Romney, his Republican rival, have suspended negative
advertising in Colorado, a major swing state in November’s election.
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