Obama meets with families after Oregon school shooting

President Obama flew to Roseburg, Oregon, on Friday to address families grieving from the Oct. 1 Umpqua Community College shooting, when a gunman killed nine people.

"I've got some very strong feelings about this because when you talk to these families, you're reminded that this could be happening to your child, or your mom, or your dad, or your relative, or your friend," he said. "And so we're going to have to come together as a country to see how we can prevent these issues from taking place."

Obama met with about 40 people at Roseburg High School for an hour before making his public statement.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"It wasn't a discussion, it was a hug," one woman described the meeting to The Oregonian.

Some gun rights advocates protested Obama's presence in Roseburg with demonstrations at the airport and in front of the school. Julie Kliegman

Iframe Code

View image | gettyimages.com