"We're going to do something about this horrible situation...We're going to get things done," Trump says to begin his meeting with Douglas students and others.
"I encourage you to be candid and be vulnerable," Pence says, asking for people to share opinions on what they want them to do. He then adds, "The president has already taken action."
Trump: "We're going to be very strong on background checks...very strong emphasis on the mental health..."
He has not endorsed a widely popular proposal for universal background checks. He's supporting an improvement of current processes (cornyn.senate.gov/sites/default/…).
He has not endorsed a widely popular proposal for universal background checks. He's supporting an improvement of current processes (cornyn.senate.gov/sites/default/…).
Julia Cordover, Douglas student body president, is teary. She thanks Trump for taking action on bump stocks, says her thoughts and prayers go out to people affected.
Douglas student Jonathan Blank thanks Trump for what he's doing, says he supports the direction Trump is taking.
Douglas student Carson Abt proposes to Trump that more schools be required by law to go through active shooter drills more frequently.
The next Douglas student, Ariana Klein, tells Trump, "Thank you for leading this country. You're a great leader." She says some people are too stuck in their own opinions on this issue.
I don't personally know how the White House selected this group of Douglas students, but so far, Trump hasn't heard any criticism or any calls for gun control.
Douglas student Justin Gruber, emotional, says students need to be safe at school. "There needs to be some change," he says.
Cary Gruber, father of Justin, makes the session's first call for gun control, appearing to endorse a higher age minimum: "If he's not old enough to buy a beer, he should not be able to buy a gun at 18 years old." He notes that Israel has tough gun control measures.
Alaya Barnett, a student from Southeast DC, tells Trump they deal with a lot of violence, says they need "preventative measures" like good counseling in schools for people dealing with bullying and other issues.
Parkland Mayor Christine Hunschofsky tells Trump: "We have to at some point care enough and be strong enough to come up with solutions."
She says a father who just buried his daughter says he supports the Second Amendment but doesn't see a need for assault weapons.
She says a father who just buried his daughter says he supports the Second Amendment but doesn't see a need for assault weapons.
Hunschofsky tells Trump another father wants the administration to "acknowledge the role of guns."
It's not just mental health, she says, it's guns too. She says an assault weapons ban "could save a life."
It's not just mental health, she says, it's guns too. She says an assault weapons ban "could save a life."
A father, angry, says he's here because his murdered daughter couldn't be.
"Everyone has to come together," he says, and think about how to protect schools. He notes that security at airports, embassies and government buildings is tougher than security in schools.
"Everyone has to come together," he says, and think about how to protect schools. He notes that security at airports, embassies and government buildings is tougher than security in schools.
"It's school safety. It's not about gun laws right now. Let's fix the schools," says the grieving father, Andrew Pollack.
"It should've been one school shooting, and we should've fixed it. And I'm pissed. Because my daughter I'm not going to see again," Pollack says.
He says the solution, additional school safety, is "simple."
He says the solution, additional school safety, is "simple."
Pollack's son, handed the mic by his dad, says it's important to support "the free market" in ideas.
"Censorship has gotta stop," the son says.
"Censorship has gotta stop," the son says.
Douglas student Sam Zeif, whose texts to his brother went viral on Twitter, is emotional talking about losing a friend.
"To feel like this, ever? I can't feel comfortable in my country knowing that people have, will have...feel like this. I want to feel safe at school."
"To feel like this, ever? I can't feel comfortable in my country knowing that people have, will have...feel like this. I want to feel safe at school."
Zeif, crying: "I don't understand why I can still go in a store and buy a weapon of war, an AR."
"How is it that easy to buy that type of weapon? How have we not stopped this, after Columbine and Sandy Hook?...it's still happening."
"How is it that easy to buy that type of weapon? How have we not stopped this, after Columbine and Sandy Hook?...it's still happening."
Zeif tells Trump Australia had a shooting and they took action on guns; they've had zero shootings since. "Let's never let this happen again," he says. "Please. Please."
Nicole Hockley, mom of son killed at Sandy Hook, calls for mental health funding and a focus on prevention. Says Trump could mandate prevention programs teaching people how to recognize signs of trouble.
Darrell Scott, father of daughter killed in Columbine, is speaking now. He has previously criticized people for criticizing the NRA and calling for gun control, telling a House committee in 1999, "We do not need more restrictive laws."
Darrell Scott says teachers shouldn't focus so much on "diversity," because that creates division, or on "unity." Rather, he says, the focus should be on "how to connect."
Curtis Kelly, whose son Zaire was shot and killed in Washington last year (washingtonpost.com/local/public-s…), says it's not just about protecting kids in schools - they also need to be protected on their way home and everywhere else.
Trump asks if anyone has any ideas to stop school shootings.
The man who answers first says one possible solution, "which may not be very popular," is to have people in schools, such as teachers, have guns.
He adds: "If it's not the teachers, you can have people who work on the campus...a custodian." Or an undercover cop in the lunchroom.
He adds: "If it's not the teachers, you can have people who work on the campus...a custodian." Or an undercover cop in the lunchroom.
This gentleman says it'd be anonymous - nobody would know who has the guns, and they wouldn't carry them on their person - but would have them in a safe in the classroom, and when the lockdown starts, the teachers would "do what needs to be done."
The next speaker, I believe Douglas student Blank's mother, says there could be another armed cop on campus, since one deputy wasn't enough in this case.
Trump notes that many mental health institutions have closed.
"Today if you catch somebody they don't know what to do with them...there's no mental institution, there's no place to bring 'em," he says.
"Today if you catch somebody they don't know what to do with them...there's no mental institution, there's no place to bring 'em," he says.
NEWS: Trump endorses arming teachers as a solution for school shootings. Says if football coach Feis at Douglas had been armed, that would have been "the end" of the shooting.
Trump: "If you had a teacher who was adept at firearms," that would end the attack "very quickly."
You can't have "100 security guards," he says, but you can give "a lot of people" guns - "they may be Marines."
You can't have "100 security guards," he says, but you can give "a lot of people" guns - "they may be Marines."
News: Trump now appears to be endorsing the Fox News-promoted idea of sending veterans into schools with guns. He says ex-Marine, ex-Air Force people could "be spread evenly throughout the school," and that could "solve your problem."
This is really something - Trump's most enthusiastic proposal, in his "listening session" on school shootings, is: A) encouraging teachers and coaches to carry guns; B) sending a company of armed veterans into schools.
Brandon Thompson, a Washington, D.C. teacher, proposes "checkpoints" in schools, with metal detectors and bag checks. "A TSA model," he says.
I should note that Thompson was saying that this is what they already do in his school in DC - it wasn't his own fanciful idea.
Douglas student Sam Zeif is the one strong voice for gun control at this meeting. Speaking again, he says, "These are not weapons of defence, these are weapons of war. And I still can't fathom that myself, I'm able to purchase one."
"We need more firearms on campus," another young man says - I believe one of the Pollack sons.
Now speaking is Mark Barden, the father of Daniel, killed in Sandy Hook - and the subject of this story everyone should read: washingtonpost.com/national/after…
"Nobody wants to see a shootout in school," Mark Barden tells Trump about his arm-the-teachers idea.
Trump in closing: "We're going to work very hard. It's very difficult, it's very complex, but we're going to find the solution."
He says he's going to go "very strong" into "age of purchase." (Feinstein has proposed raising the minimum age for AR-15 purchases from 18 to 21.)
He says he's going to go "very strong" into "age of purchase." (Feinstein has proposed raising the minimum age for AR-15 purchases from 18 to 21.)
Trump: "We're going to come up with the solution. God bless you all."
The listening session is over.
The listening session is over.
FYI: David Hogg, the Douglas student prominent in calling for gun control, was invited to Trump's session but declined, the AP reports. So it's not immediately clear how much of the Trump-friendliness of that group was the result of non-invitations or non-acceptances.
