President Donald Trump says the mass shooting at a Texas church “isn’t a guns situation,” but is a “mental health problem at the highest level.”
Devin Kelley, the man authorities have identified as the gunman, was discharged from the Air Force several years ago for allegedly assaulting his spouse and a child, according to an Air Force spokeswoman.
While no officials have publicly questioned Kelley’s mental health, Trump said that “is your problem here.” He offered no details.
“This was a very, based on preliminary reports, a very deranged individual. A lot of problems over a long period of time,” Trump said when asked about the shooting as he and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a joint news conference in Tokyo during Trump’s first official visit to Asia.
“We have a lot of mental health problems in our country, as do other countries. But this isn’t a guns situation,” the president said.
The attack happened Sunday morning when a man dressed in black tactical-style gear and armed with an assault rifle opened fire inside a Baptist church in a small South Texas community, killing 26 people and wounding at least 16 others in what the governor said is the deadliest mass shooting in state history.
Trump first tweeted that he was monitoring the situation from Japan. He later described the shooting as an “act of evil” during remarks to a gathering of American and Japanese business executives. Abe also offered condolences.
Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said Sunday that Devin Kelley served 12 months’ confinement after a 2012 court-martial. He ultimately received a bad conduct discharge and reduction in rank.
Stefanek said Kelley served in Logistics Readiness at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico from 2010 until his discharge in 2014. He was responsible for moving passengers, cargo and personal property in military transportation.
As Kelley left the scene, authorities said he was confronted by an armed resident who engaged the suspect, who later was found dead in his vehicle.
Trump said “fortunately somebody else had a gun that was shooting in the opposite direction otherwise it (wouldn’t) have been as bad as it was. It would have been much worse.”
“But this is a mental health problem at the highest level. It’s a very, very sad event.”
The shooting comes just over a month after a gunman opened fire on an outdoor music festival on the Las Vegas Strip from the 32nd floor of a hotel-casino, killing 58 people and wounding more than 500. Trump visited Las Vegas soon after to meet with families of victims and first responders.
In the days after the Las Vegas shooting, Trump and his aides declined to discuss possible changes to gun laws, saying it was too soon after the tragedy to discuss policy. Trump on Monday ignored shouted questions about whether the U.S. needs to consider tightening gun laws.
(AP)
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17 Responses
Donald is getting confused again. The massacre in Texas is all about guns. What is going on in the White House is a mental health issue.
It is likely that he is opposed to background checks because if mentally unstable people can not buy automatic weapons there will be movement to deny mentally unstable people access to nuclear weapons codes as well.
trump: in other words it is OK to give as many guns as possible to all people with mental health problems.
crazykanoiy: the murdered applied or a gun permit and was rejected. Law enforcement is trying to find out how he got the weapon illegally.
The Trumpkopf in chief forgets that several months ago he signed a bill (pushed by the NRA and some veterans groups) that restored gun rights to certain individuals where Social Security disability records recorded as having “impairment” issues because some of those people might not be really mentally ill but just have “minor” mental health issues. Sadly, it will probably take an event that directly impacts his family before he or any other Republican realizes something has to be done.
Mr trump if you don’t let the mental health people with guns in your office for safety reasons we should get the same protection or you should them into your office with guns.
The moron in chief was very quick and strident to criticize Obama for terror here, like Orlando. In just a few weeks r”l we’ve had Las Vegas, NY and now Texas. Anyone heard him taking any responsibility?
Um,RT,about New York,that is why President Trump our legally elected President, elected over a year ago wants to make sure these type of people do not come to the USA.
Las Vegas and Texas,are two people that went mad,and not a terror attack.
Gosh,RT,you might not like the President,but please know your facts before you sneeze all these unjustified allegations against him!!!
Shazam – where do you get your “facts” from? The murderer bought the guns legally. The Air Force never reported his conviction. However the only reason it is possible for anyone to buy automatic weapons is thanks to Republicans who are in the pocket of the NRA.
1. The gun was not automatic.
2. The problem with Obama’s executive order was that anyone who said they wanted someone else to handle their finances could have their guns confiscated. The constitution guarantees due process. That isn’t due process
3. Governor Greg Abbot said that he was denied a gun permit. I would say that’s a pretty good source.
4. Not nearly anyone can buy an automatic weapon. You need to pass a months long background check and pay several hundred dollars in fees and taxes. Please do more research.
NOYB
1: The gum was River AR-556 which is a semi automatic weapon.
2: The problems is not Obama’s. It is the Republicans inability to act.
3: The murderer bought the gun legally. He was not denied. And he bought more than one.
4: There is no valid reason why any regular citizen would need a semi automatic assault weapon. The fact they are legal is a travesty too many have lost their lives. It must stop.
NOYB with regard to point 3 there is no need for a gun permit in Texas you can legally buy a gun in Texas without a permit or license.
1. Yes. I said it was not automatic. That is correct. It is SEMI automatic. If you don’t know the difference, you should not be having a gun control debate. It would be like having a vaccine debate without knowing the difference between a syringe and an IV. And it was a Ruger AR 556. Not river.
2.I said Obama’s executive order deprived people of their right to due process. You said Republicans have an inability to act. I agree, but I’m not sure why that is relevant.
3. “I can tell you that before he made this purchase, he tried to get a gun permit in the state of Texas and was denied that permit.” – Governor Gregg Abbot. I think he would know his own state’s gun laws. Link: http://matzav.com/texas-gov-abbot-gunman-was-denied-gun-permit/
4. First of all, assault weapon means nothing. It is a made up term to make guns sound scarier than other guns. Assault RIFLES are a thing. The AR15 is not one of them. Assault rifles must be automatic. the AR 15 is semi-automatic. Yeah, there is a reason for semi-autos. It makes hunting much easier. It makes it possible to defend yourself if more than one person breaks into your house at a time, which happens frequently with break-ins. Or if we are discussing a pistol, its necessary if someone is being mugged or assaulted by more then one person, which is most of the time that these things happen. When people are stressed, like during a life and death fight, they miss sometimes. If they don’t have a semi auto, they are dead. A lot of the time criminals are on drugs or have lots of adrenaline flowing and they dont stop after the first shot. There are numerous videos all over the internet showing this. This is why you hear about cops shooting criminals multiple times, because they don’t stop at first. Lastly, we have the most obvious argument: criminals don’t obey laws. They will continue to get whatever guns they want the same place they get their illegal drugs from.
NOYB
A permit is NOT required to purchase a gun in Texas. Despite what you might read on Matzav this is a fact. Do a simple google search of “Is a permit required to purchase a gun in Texas” and you will see that a permit is not required for the purchase of firearms in Texas.
Assault weapon is not “a made-up term designed to scare people” An assault weapon is defined as a semi-automatic weapon with a large magazine designed for COMBAT. People do not need combat weapons for hunting.
The weapon was a Ruger and not a River and that error was due to my autocorrect overriding what I had typed.
The idea that semi-automatic combat-style assault weapons in the hands of every citizen will make our country safer is preposterous. It is a recipe for wild west lawlessness. Turf wars at Churches, malls, and schools with bad guys shooting good guys and good guys shooting back is not the way civilized society functions and will undoubtedly result in the deaths of many innocents killed by bad guys or caught in a crossfire. Laws banning semi-automatic assault weapons with strict enforcement and punishment for possession will work, as it works in virtually every other civilized country that limits and controls the sale of deadly weapons. No country suffers from mass murder like America does because no other country has a political party beholden to gun manufacturers and the gun lobby. If only Republicans would care about gun deaths as much as terrorism this deadly scourge could begin to be contained.
NOYB
From THE HILL article quoted by Matzav that you linked to above:
Abbott did not say when the permit was denied, nor did he cite the reasons why, saying only that it was due to “either answers, or the lack thereof, that were provided in his request.” Because Texas does NOT require a permit to purchase or own firearms, Abbott’s reference appears to be to a request to carry a gun.
NOYB: “Assault rifles must be automatic. the AR 15 is semi-automatic.”
From Wikipedia Assault Weapons:
Assault weapon is a term used in the United States to define some types of firearms.[1] The definition varies among regulating jurisdictions, but usually includes SEMI-AUTOMATIC firearms with a detachable magazine and a pistol grip, and sometimes other features such as a flash suppressor or barrel shroud.