Obama Talks After Visit To Shooting Victims, Says Words Don’t Help

As we reported earlier, President Barack Obama took time out of his busy campaign to visit with the victims of the Dark Knight Rises massacre in Aurora, Colorado.

Suspected shooter James Holmes, who made his first court appearance this morning, is accused of gunning down scores of theater patrons gathered in the space to watch the film on opening night. Twelve patrons lost their lives in the ensuing melee and confusion, and dozens more were injured, some gravely.

President Obama traveled to Colorado to visit with victims’ families on Sunday, but acknowledged to grieving family members that there were few things he could say to ameliorate the horror of the tragedy.

Speaking later of his visit with the families, President Obama seemed humbled and expressed a level of sadness at being unable to soothe the fraught loved ones of victims after the visit. The Commander-in-Chief said:

“I confessed to them that words are always inadequate in these kinds of situations, but that my main task was to serve as a representative of the entire country and let them know that we are thinking about them at this moment, and will continue to think about them each and every day.”

The President reminded folks that despite the great sadness following the tragedy, recovery and healing would follow eventually:

“It reminds you that even in the darkest of days, life continues and people are strong and people bounce back and people are resilient… Out of this darkness, a brighter day is going to come.”

Obama made the remarks to reporters at the University of Colorado Hospital.