President Trump said Thursday that the shooting at Florida State University, which killed two people, was “terrible” and a “shame,” but that he is unlikely to support any new gun control measures because he is a “big advocate of the Second Amendment.”
When asked by reporters if he planned to consider stricter gun laws in the aftermath of the shooting, Mr. Trump said, “These things are terrible. But the people, not the gun, do the shooting.”
“As far as legislation is concerned, this has been going on for a long time,” Mr. Trump said. “I am obligated to protect the Second Amendment. I ran on many issues, including the Second Amendment, and I will always defend it.
The president, whose primary residence is Palm Beach, Florida, also stated that he is “very familiar” with Florida State University and the surrounding area.
Police say two people were killed and six injured on the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee. The alleged gunman, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, was apprehended after being shot by police, according to authorities.
Mr. Trump has generally opposed additional gun control measures. In early February, he signed an executive order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to look into repealing several Biden-era gun regulations, including stricter rules for firearms dealers.
Mr. Trump restricted “bump stocks” — devices that allow guns to fire faster — during his first term in response to a deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas, but the Supreme Court overturned the rule last year.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives currently does not have a permanent director. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is the agency’s acting leader, taking over last week from FBI Director Kash Patel, who ran both the ATF and the FBI.
