WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (UPI) — President Barack Obama, who previously has said he has addressed far too many mass shootings during his time in the White House, said he was again “heartbroken” by the deadly events Friday at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
In an interview with ABC News, set to air Sunday, the president expressed his feelings about the latest shooting rampage to impact the United States.
“These kinds of tragedies have happened too often during the years that I’ve been president,” Obama reiterated to George Stephanopolous in an interview for This Week. “The pain, the grief, the shock that they must be going through is enormous.”
Five people were shot dead at the airport, one of South Florida’s busiest, and eight others were wounded by gunfire early Friday afternoon. The accused shooter, U.S. Army veteran Esteban Santiago, was taken into custody and reports indicate that he might suffer from a mental illness.
According to investigators, Santiago, 26, opened fire in the airport after arriving on a flight from Alaska, where he had been stationed with the military. He was discharged last summer.
Early indications are that the suspect has no ties to terrorism, and Obama declined to address that issue when asked by Stephanopolous.
“I don’t want to comment on it other than just to say how heartbroken we are for the families who’ve been affected,” he said.
The president has had to lead in the face of several mass shooting tragedies during his eight years in office — perhaps none more appalling than the 2012 rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in which 20 children, ages 6 and 7, were gunned down in a random attack. The event marked the only time in his presidency when Obama was moved to tears in front of the White House press corps.
“I think we’ll find out over the next 24 hours exactly how this happened and what motivated this individual,” Obama added.
This Week with George Stephanopolous, featuring Obama’s interview, will air Sunday morning.
