Trump Says Deadly Texas Shooting Isn't A Guns Issue, It's A Mental Health Problem

Rebecca Shapiro
Updated

President Donald Trump responded to the deadliest mass shooting in Texas history by saying the attack was a result of “a mental health problem” and not due to lax gun control laws.

During a news conference Monday in Tokyo, Trump said it was “a little bit soon” to get into a discussion about gun control.

“This isn’t a guns situation,” Trump said, noting that a person in the crowd with a gun shot at the attacker and caused him to flee. “This is a mental health problem at the highest level. It’s a very, very sad event.”

The president woke on Monday morning in Japan to the news that a lone gunman had opened fire on churchgoers at a small Baptist church in rural Texas and killed at least 26 people and injured another 20. The dead and wounded range in age from 5 to 72 years old.

While answering questions in Tokyo, the president referred to the gunman, who multiple reports identified as 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley, as a “very deranged individual.”

The accused gunman was a former member of the U.S. Air Force from 2010 until his discharge in 2014. He was court-martialed in 2012 for assault on his spouse and their child, according to a USAF spokesperson.

Earlier on Monday, Trump tweeted his prayers to the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas, before giving an official statement on the shooting at a meeting with U.S. and Japanese business leaders in Tokyo.

Last March, Trump signed a law reversing an Obama-era rule that made it harder for individuals with mental illnesses to access guns. The signing took place with no cameras present and was applauded by the National Rifle Association.

Related...

Half The People Killed In The Texas Shooting Were Children

Devin Patrick Kelley's Former Classmates Say Texas Gunman Seemed 'Off' In Recent Years

People Fed Up With ‘Thoughts And Prayers’ Demand Action After Texas Church Massacre

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Law enforcement officials investigate a mass shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. 
Law enforcement officials investigate a mass shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. 
Members of the Wilson County Sheriff's Office stand just inside a taped-off area near the First Baptist Church.
Members of the Wilson County Sheriff's Office stand just inside a taped-off area near the First Baptist Church.
Law enforcement officials gather near the First Baptist Church following a shooting on Nov. 5, 2017, in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
Law enforcement officials gather near the First Baptist Church following a shooting on Nov. 5, 2017, in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
Law enforcement officials gather near the First Baptist Church. 
Law enforcement officials gather near the First Baptist Church. 
A sign at the First Baptist Church. 
A sign at the First Baptist Church. 
Law enforcement officials continue their investigation at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas.
Law enforcement officials continue their investigation at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas.
A gunman killed 26 people at the church and wounded many more when he opened fire during a Sunday service. 
A gunman killed 26 people at the church and wounded many more when he opened fire during a Sunday service. 
View of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs.
View of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs.
A woman and her children take part in a vigil for victims of a mass shooting in Sutherland Springs. 
A woman and her children take part in a vigil for victims of a mass shooting in Sutherland Springs. 
Michaun Johnson attends a candlelight vigil.
Michaun Johnson attends a candlelight vigil.
Danny Barker, his wife Tomie and grandson Gage attend a candlelight vigil after a mass shooting at the First Baptist Church.
Danny Barker, his wife Tomie and grandson Gage attend a candlelight vigil after a mass shooting at the First Baptist Church.
Sofia Martinez, 9, attends a candlelight vigil after a mass shooting at the First Baptist Church.
Sofia Martinez, 9, attends a candlelight vigil after a mass shooting at the First Baptist Church.
Bailey Lejeaune and David Betancourt attend a candlelight vigil after a mass shooting at the First Baptist Church.
Bailey Lejeaune and David Betancourt attend a candlelight vigil after a mass shooting at the First Baptist Church.
Local residents take part in a vigil for victims of a mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
Local residents take part in a vigil for victims of a mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.