President Trump vowed in his weekly address released Friday that the victims of the Las Vegas mass shooting “will never be forgotten” amid fresh debate over the nation’s gun laws.
“Among the fallen were young students full of limitless potential, law enforcement personnel, a nurse, teachers dedicated to our children’s future and many others,” Trump said in his address.
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“They were mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. They were husbands and wives, and sons and daughters. They will be dearly missed, and they will never be forgotten,” he said.
The president’s comments come after he and first lady Melania Trump met Wednesday with victims of the mass shooting, which left nearly 60 people dead and hundreds more injured. Vice President Pence will also travel to Las Vegas on Saturday in the wake of the attack.
Officials have spent days attempting to identify a motive for the suspected shooter, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, who police say killed himself when authorities stormed his hotel room on Sunday after he unloaded on thousands of people attending a nearby country music festival.
Authorities recovered 12 guns from Paddock’s room in the Mandalay Bay hotel on the Las Vegas Strip that were outfitted with an accessory allowing them to fire hundreds of rounds per minute.
Momentum grew on Capitol Hill this week for a review of the device, called a “bump stock.” Trump said Thursday that his administration was considering legislation to ban the firearm attachment.