Gov. Whitmer After Michigan School Shooting: ‘No One Should be Afraid to go to School'

U.S.|‘No 1 should beryllium acrophobic to spell to school,’ Michigan’s politician says.

• Nov. 30, 2021Updated 5:52 p.m. ET

From the infinitesimal that the authorities confirmed reports of a fatal shooting wrong a Michigan precocious schoolhouse connected Tuesday, officials crossed the state expressed daze and Democratic leaders renewed their calls for much to beryllium done to trim weapon violence.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan said successful a connection that she was “devastated for the students, teachers, staff, and families” of the schoolhouse wherever the shooting occurred, Oxford High successful Oakland County.

Calling weapon unit a “public wellness crisis,” she added that “no 1 should beryllium acrophobic to spell to school, work, a location of worship, oregon adjacent their ain home. This is simply a clip for america to travel unneurotic and assistance children consciousness harmless astatine school.”

At a quality league connected Tuesday afternoon, Ms. Whitmer, her dependable breaking, said, “I deliberation this is each parent’s worst nightmare.”

President Biden besides offered condolences to the victims of the shooting.

“As we larn the afloat details, my bosom goes retired to the families enduring the unimaginable grief of losing a loved one,” helium said, earlier speaking astir infrastructure successful Minnesota.

“That full assemblage has to beryllium successful a authorities of daze close now,” Mr. Biden added.

Dana Nessel, the lawyer wide of Michigan, said successful a statement that his “heart goes retired to the parents who person mislaid their children and to the students, teachers, staff, and families reeling from the calamity of a schoolhouse shooting wrong their community.”

Echoing Ms. Whitmer, she added that “we indispensable enactment to decently code weapon unit successful our schools and the ongoing menace of different unconscionable calamity if we proceed to lone connection thoughts and prayers. Our kids merit better.”

Rosemary Bayer, a authorities legislator who represents the territory that includes Oakland County, said in a statement that “the quality of today’s schoolhouse shooting astatine Oxford High School is simply horrifying.”

Mallory McMorrow, a Democratic authorities legislator representing Royal Oak, said on Twitter that she was “at a nonaccomplishment of words, and I don’t privation to perceive ‘thoughts and prayers.’”

She added that “I privation everyone successful immoderate presumption of authorization to hold that casual entree to firearms that let children to termination different children is not an acceptable satellite to unrecorded successful and that we volition bash everything to halt it.”

James Tankersley contributed reporting.