Obama: 'All of us are still grieving' over tragedy

Credit: REUTERS/Jason Reed

President Obama said Monday afternoon that "all of us are still grieving" in the wake of the shooting in Tucson .

Obama was in the Oval Office with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whom he had been meeting with, when he spoke of the tragedy for the first time since Saturday. He condemned the "heinous crime."

Obama praised the "extraordinary courage" of those at the scene, specifically noting a 20-year-old intern who rushed to the aid of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz) after she was shot and the people who wrestled down the gunman.

"Part of what I think that speaks to is the best of America, even in the face of such mindless violence," he said. "And so, in the coming days, we're going to have a lot of time to reflect. Right now, the main thing we're doing is to offer our thoughts and prayers to those who've been impacted, making sure that we're joining together and pulling together as a country. And, you know, as president of the United States, but also as a father, obviously I'm spending a lot of
time just thinking about the families and reaching out to them. "

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