In an interview with BBC, President Obama opened up about some of his biggest accomplishments and frustrations during his time in office.
One of the biggest issues that he has faced, he said, has been the lack of gun safety laws.
“…The one area where I feel that I’ve been most frustrated and most stymied…is the fact that the United States of America is the one advanced nation on earth in which we do not have sufficient common-sense, gun-safety laws,” he said. “Even in the face of repeated mass killings.”
He pointed out that in the 14 years since 9/11, fewer than 100 people have been killed by terrorism versus the “tens of thousands” who have been victims of gun violence.
“For us not to be able to resolve that issue has been something that is distressing,” he said. “But it is not something that I intend to stop working on in the remaining 18 months.”
President Obama’s remarks came just hours before John Russell Houser opened fire at a Louisiana movie theater, killing two and wounding nine before turning the gun on himself. Houser’s ex-wife has told authorities that the 59-year-old suffered from mental illness and had most likely illegally obtained his firearms.