Compact News: President Obama Speaks on the Shooting at the Washington, DC Navy Yard

Monday, September 16, 2013

President Obama Speaks on the Shooting at the Washington, DC Navy Yard

Today's Statement

President Obama Speaks on the Shooting at the Washington, DC Navy Yard

Today, before delivering remarks on the economy, President Obama gave a brief statement about the tragic events at the Washington Navy Yard:

I’ve been briefed by my team on the situation. We still don’t know all the facts, but we do know that several people have been shot, and some have been killed. So we are confronting yet another mass shooting -- and today, it happened on a military installation in our nation’s capital.

It’s a shooting that targeted our military and civilian personnel. These are men and women who were going to work, doing their job, protecting all of us. They’re patriots, and they know the dangers of serving abroad -- but today, they faced unimaginable violence that they wouldn't have expected here at home.

So we offer our gratitude to the Navy and local law enforcement, federal authorities, and the doctors who’ve responded with skill and bravery. I’ve made it clear to my team that I want the investigation to be seamless, so that federal and local authorities are working together. And as this investigation moves forward, we will do everything in our power to make sure whoever carried out this cowardly act is held responsible.

In the meantime, we send our thoughts and prayers to all at the Navy Yard who’ve been touched by this tragedy. We thank them for their service. We stand with the families of those who’ve been harmed. They’re going to need our love and support. And as we learn more about the courageous Americans who died today -- their lives, their families, their patriotism -- we will honor their service to the nation they helped to make great. And obviously, we're going to be investigating thoroughly what happened, as we do so many of these shootings, sadly, that have happened, and do everything that we can to try to prevent them.

Featured

The Five-Year Anniversary of the Financial Crisis: A Look Back at the Progress We’ve Made

Five years ago this week, a financial crisis unlike any in generations rocked Wall Street -- turning a recession that was already hammering Main Street into the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Upon taking office, the President acted with unprecedented speed to respond to the crisis and its impact on American families -- taking actions to stabilize the financial system, rescue the auto industry, and boost the economy by providing tax relief to working families and keeping teachers and first responders on the job. On the five-year anniversary of the crisis, the Administration has prepared a report that describes 15 key elements of the response to the financial crisis and where we find ourselves today.

Read the full report here.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the five-year anniversary of the financial crisis, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building South Court Auditorium, Sept. 16, 2013. Joining the President on-stage and in the audience are small business owners, construction workers, homeowners, consumers, and tax cut recipients. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)