WH: Renewing assault weapons ban "a commitment" of Obama's

White House press secretary Jay Carney listens to a follow up question regarding the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., after he told reporters that President Barack Obama is receiving updates on the situation, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012, during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C. / AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

Updated 3:50 p.m. ET

After news broke about the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, White House spokesman Jay Carney said that renewing the federal assault weapons ban "does remain a commitment of" the president's. However, he continued, "What I said is that today is not the day to, I believe, as a father a day to engage in the usual Washington policy debates. I think that that day will come, but today is not that day."

Carney said that Mr. Obama was first notified of the shooting at 10:30 a.m. by Homeland Security Adviser John Brennan. The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School this morning left 27 people dead, including at least 18 children ages five to 10 years old.

Play Video

Carney: There's a day for gun control review, "but today is not that day"

Play Video

Carney: Newtown shooting will "weigh heavily" on Obama "as a father"

The president called Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy, the governor's office said today, to express his condolences and pledge whatever resources the federal government can bring to bear to assist the families and the investigation. According to the White House, the president also spoke with FBI Director Robert Mueller about the incident, and the FBI providing support to state and local police.

Carney told reporters around noon that "it's certainly possible, if not likely, that the president will have something to say," in a written statement or otherwise.

"We are still waiting for more information about the incident in Connecticut," Carney said. "As we do, I think it's important, on a day like today, to view this as I know the president, as a father, does, and others who are parents certainly do: which is to feel enormous sympathy for those families affected and to do everything that we can to support state and local law enforcement and to support those who are enduring what appears to be a very tragic event."

[captwsims]

Bluejacket is not right...the M16/AR15 cannot fire in full automatic. The orginal one, the A1, had a full auto feature, but it was soon replaced by the A2.

[Type_Z]

We are an intelligent species are we not? The problem has repeatedly presented itself.

1) lack of knowledge and treatment of mental health issues. This is the common denominator. The experts need to teach us, the nation needs to listen. Ignoring, heads in the sand, your problem not mine........not working folks. It is misunderstood folks, there is help and hope.

2) if you have someone in your home that is mentally unstable, get the guns out. Just get the guns out.
Invasion of privacy? Yep, but those with diagnosis of mental health care issues should not be able to buy a gun, it's for their safety and yours. There must be a way to accomplish it.

[Type_Z]

The folks that are responsible and educated gun owners should be effected because they are not the problem.

[logictoo]

JAMESARITCHIE---Your response to concerning assault weapons is appreciated.You gave me a little more clarity. Prompted me do to a little research. If correct here is an example:
The National Firearms Act of 1934, the Gun Control Act of 1968 and the Hughes Amendment in 1986 have all placed limits on how automatic guns can be bought and sold, but did not make it illegal to possess them entirely.

Purchasing one requires submitting fingerprints and photographs to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, going through an FBI criminal background check, and paying a $200 tax, among other requirements. Only automatic weapons manufactured and registered with the federal government before 1986 can be bought, owned and sold.
If this info is correct it should give ban guns completely folks at least an idea that you cannot go to your local Wal-Mart sporting goods department and fork over your money and walk out with a weapon that is capable of firing full automatic.

[alllifeisagift]

even after this i still see so much hatred lets blame everyone for what they feel strongly about. the republicans, the democrats, NRA the drugs the guns, and all the what ifs. 26 life's are gone, taken from there parents, and family's destroyed buy the action of one man. the deed is done the responsible dead. now is the time to comfort our brother's and sister's for they are the ones that need us most.

God Bless to all and may the love of are father comfort you, and know that the lost are safe in the arms of our father in heaven

[logictoo]

BLUEJACKET2-2009
My understanding is very different from yours. I at one time carried a M-16, it was not a fully automatic weapon. Each squad leader carried one with a selector switch and could be fired full or semi automatic. Automatic weapons as you describe have been illegal in the US for years. Semi-automatic are legal. The semi-automatic M-16 is an excellent hunting rifle, very accurate and lightweight. Mine carried .223 bullet. I also carried an M-1 Garand, they were used in WWII and Korea. The M-I fired a 30.06 cartridge, a much larger cartridge than the M-16. If a weapon has to be full automatic to be considered assault then an assault weapon or rifle is illegal to own in the United States. You are correct that a full automatic rifle is not any good for hunting. Not only are they no good for hunting but if you were caught hunting with one it would be confiscated and you would like pay a huge fine and also very likey spend some time in jail. It would be a very serious offense. If you are correct and a assault weapon is a full automatic weapon then they are already outlawed.

[Jamesaritchie]

Fully automatic weapons are not illegal in the United States. I don't know where this belief comes from, but it simply isn't true. All you have to do to own a fully automatic weapon is pass a standard background check, and get a two hundred dollar tax stamp. A full auto M16 cots around $15,000, so not many can afford it, but you can get a full auto Uzi for around $3,500.

But an assault rifle ban is nonsense, and just the President playing politics. The weapon used here, an AR, is not an assault rifle, and is no different than semi-autos that hunters have been using for more than eighty years. But because it LOOKS like an M16, because it LOOKS scary to those who know nothing about weapons, it's the favorite target of know nothing anti gun people, and this also makes it a favorite target of Obama. It's nothing more than a way of appeasing liberal Democrats. It is not base din reality.

And it isn't going to happen in any meaningful way. We live in a society that raises monsters, and then blame the tools the monster uses because that easier than facing the truth and changing society.

[AFarmerAZ]

Ehm... the riffle was in the car and never fired.... he only use two handguns not his own. Not sure why the assalt riffle agenda has resurfaced... opportunity and peoples ignorance I guess.

[logictoo]

aa

[logictoo]

Sorry aa mistake

[logictoo]

I do not mean this the be meaningless dribble in a time of such tragedy and ask that my ignorance be excused. I would like someone to inform me as to what exactly is a assault weapon? I honestly do not know what the difference is between a assault weapon and a weapon that is not a assault weapon.

[bluejacket2-2009]

The USA M-16 and Soviet AK-47 are two examples; they are fully automatic light weight machine guns with clips capable of firing 30 rounds or more in than 60 seconds... Their original intent was for mass killing in military combat..

They can be carried by one person running in an assault formation toward an enemy, unlike many of the old machine guns that had to be mounted on the ground or to heavy to carry during a running assult. Their light weight and intense fire power is the key... They were designed to kill hundreds in minutes for military combat-not freaking hunting, personal or domestic protection; unless the domestic invader is freaking 100 man army regiment..

[bluejacket2-2009]

Or in a few words, when you squeeze the trigger of an assault type weapon they keep firing bullets forever (until the clip is spent), non-assault type weapons require the trigger to be pulled for every bullet fired... The Germans in WWII developed the first true assault weapon.

They are deadly killers on a massive scale...

[nynjgiant]

I believe in 2nd amendment, but everytime something like this happens, everyone says it's not the guns... and obviously they "don't pull the trigger" by themselves. Every generation has sick folks...this generation didn't invent them. But, to think that so many things can't be done on multiple fronts is idiotic and cowardly actions by our politicians back it up. Maybe this time will be different? Will believe it when I see it. If a mentally SICK person is mad about something, and before they have the time to cool off, they grab guns from daddy's gun cabinet, and go shoot someone. They've been playing assault video games, and reality is blended, all the sudden they think, "hey, I've got a gun, I'm pissed, and ...I'm gonna go do it like the game...I'll show'em." Again, not the guns fault, not the video games fault...people make these actions and they are responsible! But COWARDS and special interest groups hide behind the notion that we have to let people have all the guns they want, and be able to go to gun shows and double down on what ever they want. Some how other countries manage to exist without this nonsense. US has TRIPLE the rest of the world in school shootings combined. Can't take guns away from hunters or pistols for self defense, but a culture change is needed now.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

We as a country, adults and parents are suppose to be the protectors of our children but republicans and the NRA blocks every attempt to protect them.

[bluejacket2-2009]

TAehtz: the AP is reporting an assault weapon was found in the school... Any person that buys a fully automatic assault weapon is crazy and buy it for one reason, to kill living creatures in mass... pure insanity by definition.,

[sockpuppet2011]

Never let a crisis go to waist. Now is where we push to disarm the public and get rid of that 2nd ammendment we hate so much. Then we will all be sitting ducks just like the children that were killed today. This school was a gun-free zone. There is probably a sign on the door telling the killer that, but oddly he ignored it. Doesn't it occur to people that these killings never occur at an NRA ralley or a gun show where everyone is armed. They always occur in court houses, schools, college campuses or other locations that we have designated as "Gun-free". Doesn't it occur to anyone that this makes these locations prime targets for these psychopathic killers? Just askin.