President Barack Obama noted a dark milestone at the White House Sunday: the deadliest shooting in American history.
But his appearance in the White House Briefing Room was far from the first time Obama has delivered remarks following a massacre on American soil.
In fact, he’s personally made statements about shootings more than a dozen times since taking office over seven years ago. Here’s a look at what he’s had to say:
Nov. 5, 2009
Remarks by the President on the shooting at Fort Hood
“As commander-in-chief, there’s no greater honor but also no greater responsibility for me than to make sure that the extraordinary men and women in uniform are properly cared for and that their safety and security when they are at home is provided for.”
Jan. 12, 2011
Obama’s remarks at a memorial service for the victims in Tucson, Arizona
“For the truth is none of us can know exactly what triggered this vicious attack. None of us can know with any certainty what might have stopped these shots from being fired, or what thoughts lurked in the inner recesses of a violent man’s mind. Yes, we have to examine all the facts behind this tragedy. We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence.”
July 20, 2012
Obama responds to the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting
“Now, even as we learn how this happened and who’s responsible, we may never understand what leads anybody to terrorize their fellow human beings like this. Such violence, such evil is senseless. It’s beyond reason. But while we will never know fully what causes somebody to take the life of another, we do know what makes life worth living.”
Aug. 10, 2012
Obama speaks on Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting
“Tonight, our prayers, in particular, are with our friends and fellow Americans in the Sikh community. We mourn those who were senselessly murdered and injured in their place of worship. And while we may never fully understand what motivates such hatred, such violence, the perpetrators of such despicable acts must know that your twisted thinking is no match for the compassion and the goodness and the strength of our united American family.”
Dec. 14, 2012
Obama’s statement after the Newtown, Connecticut school shooting
“This evening, Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter and we’ll tell them that we love them, and we’ll remind each other how deeply we love one another. But there are families in Connecticut who cannot do that tonight.”
Sept. 16, 2013
Obama speaks on the Washington Navy Yard shooting
“It’s a shooting that targeted our military and civilian personnel. These are men and women who were going to work, doing their job, protecting all of us. They’re patriots, and they know the dangers of serving abroad – but today, they faced unimaginable violence that they wouldn’t have expected here at home.”
April 2, 2014
Obama’s remarks on the second Fort Hood shooting
“Any shooting is troubling. Obviously this reopens the pain of what happened at Fort Hood five years ago. We know these families. We know their incredible service to our country and the sacrifices that they make. Obviously our thoughts and prayers were – are with the entire community. And we are going to do everything we can to make sure that the community at Fort Hood has what it needs to deal with the current situation, but also any potential aftermath.”
April 14, 2014
Obama responds to Kansas Jewish Community Center shooting
That this occurred now – as Jews were preparing to celebrate Passover, as Christians were observing Palm Sunday –makes this tragedy all the more painful. And today, as Passover begins, we’re seeing a number of synagogues and Jewish community centers take added security precautions. Nobody should have to worry about their security when gathering with their fellow believers. No one should ever have to fear for their safety when they go to pray.
June 10, 2014
The President’s remarks following a school shooting in Portland, Oregon
“I will tell you, I have been in Washington for a while now. Most things don’t surprise me. The fact that 20 six-year-olds were gunned down in the most violent fashion possible and this town couldn’t do anything about it was stunning to me.”
June 18, 2015
Obama responds to the church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina
“I’ve had to make statements like this too many times. Communities like this have had to endure tragedies like this too many times. We don’t have all the facts, but we do know that, once again, innocent people were killed in part because someone who wanted to inflict harm had no trouble getting their hands on a gun. Now is the time for mourning and for healing. But let’s be clear: At some point, we as a country will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries. It doesn’t happen in other places with this kind of frequency. And it is in our power to do something about it.”
July 16, 2015
Obama’s statement following Chattanooga recruiting center shooting
“We take all shootings very seriously. Obviously, when you have an attack on a U.S. military facility, then we have to make sure that we have all the information necessary to make an assessment in terms of how this attack took place, and what further precautions we can take in the future. And as we have more information, we’ll let the public know. But in the meantime, I’d ask all Americans to pray for the families who are grief-stricken at this point. And I want everybody to understand that we will be thorough and prompt in figuring out exactly what happened.”
October 1, 2015
Obama responds to shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon
“Earlier this year, I answered a question in an interview by saying, “The United States of America is the one advanced nation on Earth in which we do not have sufficient common-sense gun-safety laws – even in the face of repeated mass killings.” And later that day, there was a mass shooting at a movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana. That day! Somehow this has become routine. The reporting is routine. My response here at this podium ends up being routine. The conversation in the aftermath of it. We’ve become numb to this.”
December 3, 2015
Obama responds to San Bernardino shooting
“I do think that, as the investigation moves forward, it’s going to be important for all of us – including our legislatures – to see what we can do to make sure that when individuals decide that they want to do somebody harm, we’re making it a little harder for them to do it. Because right now it’s just too easy. And we’re going to have to, I think, search ourselves as a society to make sure that we can take basic steps that would make it harder – not impossible, but harder – for individuals to get access to weapons.”
June 12, 2016
Obama delivers a statement following shooting in Orlando, Florida
“Today marks the most deadly shooting in American history. The shooter was apparently armed with a handgun and a powerful assault rifle. This massacre is therefore a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school, or in a house of worship, or a movie theater or in a nightclub. And we have to decide if that’s the kind of country we want to be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well.”
