In wake of Florida school shooting tearful student asks Trump : 'How do we not stop this?'
Spilling out wrenching tales of lost lives and stolen security  students and parents appealed to  President Donald Trump  to set politics aside and protect America's schoolchildren from the scourge of gun violence.  Trump  listened intently to the raw emotion and pledged action  including the possibility of arming teachers.
 Trump  promised to be "very strong on background checks." And  he  suggested  he  supported allowing some teachers and other school employees to carry concealed weapons to be ready for intruders. But largely  he  listened Wednesday  holding handwritten notes bearing  his  message to the families. "I hear you" was written in black marker.
 Carolyn Kaster / AP President Donald Trump  holds notes during a listening session with high school students and teachers in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington  Wednesday  Feb. 21  2018.  Trump  heard the stories of students and parents affected by school shootings  following last week's deadly shooting in Florida.  President Donald Trump  holds notes during a listening session with high school students and teachers in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington  Wednesday  Feb. 21  2018.  Trump  heard the stories of students and parents affected by school shootings  following last week's deadly shooting in Florida. (Carolyn Kaster / AP) (Carolyn Kaster / AP)
 The president  had invited the teen survivors of school violence and parents of murdered children in a show of  his  resolve against gun violence in the wake of last week's shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland  Florida  and in past years at schools in Connecticut and Colorado. The latest episode has prompted a renewed and growing call for stronger gun control.
 Trump  asked  his  guests to suggest solutions and solicited feedback.  He  did not fully endorse any specific policy solution  but pledged to take action and expressed interest in widely differing approaches.
Besides considering concealed carrying of weapons by trained school employees  a concept  he  has endorsed in the past   he  said  he  planned to go "very strongly into age  age of purchase." And  he  said  he  was committed to improving background checks and working on mental health.
A strong supporter of gun rights   Trump  has nonetheless indicated in recent days that  he  is willing to consider ideas not in keeping with National Rifle Association orthodoxy  including age restrictions for buying assault-type weapons. Still  gun owners are a key part of  his  base of supporters.
The student body president at the Parkland school  Julia Cordover  tearfully told  Trump  that she "was lucky enough to come home from school."
 Trump  later tweeted that  he  would "always remember" the meeting. "So much love in the midst of so much pain. We must not let them down. We must keep our children safe!!"
"His point was ( Trump  needs) to come to Parkland  we're not going there " she said.
Throughout the day Wednesday  television news showed footage of student survivors of the violence marching on the Florida state Capitol  calling for tougher laws. The protests came closer to  Trump   too  with hundreds of students from suburban Maryland attending a rally at the Capitol and then marching to the White House.
Inside the executive mansion   Trump  said at the end of an hour listening to tales of pain and anguish  "Thank you for pouring out your hearts because the world is watching and we're going to come up with a solution."
Television personality Geraldo Rivera had dinner with  Trump  at his private Palm Beach club over the weekend and described  Trump  as "deeply affected" by his visit Friday with Parkland survivors. In an email  Rivera said he and  Trump  discussed the idea of raising the minimum age to purchase assault-type weapons.
 Trump  "suggested strongly that he was going to act to strengthen background checks " Rivera said.
 Trump  embraced gun rights during  his  presidential campaign  though  he  supported some gun control before  he  became a candidate  backing an assault weapons ban and a longer waiting period to purchase a gun in a 2000 book.
On Tuesday   Trump  directed the Justice Department to move to ban devices like the rapid-fire bump stocks used in last year's Las Vegas massacre. The White House has also said  Trump  was looking at a bill that would strengthen federal gun background checks.
Spilling out wrenching tales of lost lives and stolen security  students and parents appealed to [TGT]to set politics aside and protect America's schoolchildren from the scourge of gun violence.  [TGT]  listened intently to the raw emotion and pledged action  including the possibility of arming teachers.
 [TGT]promised to be "very strong on background checks." And  [TGT]  suggested  [TGT]  supported allowing some teachers and other school employees to carry concealed weapons to be ready for intruders. But largely  [TGT]  listened Wednesday  holding handwritten notes bearing  [TGT]  message to the families. "I hear you" was written in black marker.
 [TGT]holds notes during a listening session with high school students and teachers in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington  Wednesday  Feb. 21  2018.  [TGT]heard the stories of students and parents affected by school shootings  following last week's deadly shooting in Florida.  [TGT]holds notes during a listening session with high school students and teachers in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington  Wednesday  Feb. 21  2018.  [TGT]heard the stories of students and parents affected by school shootings  following last week's deadly shooting in Florida. (Carolyn Kaster / AP) (Carolyn Kaster / AP)
 [TGT]had invited the teen survivors of school violence and parents of murdered children in a show of  [TGT]  resolve against gun violence in the wake of last week's shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland  Florida  and in past years at schools in Connecticut and Colorado. The latest episode has prompted a renewed and growing call for stronger gun control.
 [TGT]asked  [TGT]  guests to suggest solutions and solicited feedback.  [TGT]  did not fully endorse any specific policy solution  but pledged to take action and expressed interest in widely differing approaches.
Besides considering concealed carrying of weapons by trained school employees  a concept  [TGT]  has endorsed in the past   [TGT]  said  [TGT]  planned to go "very strongly into age  age of purchase." And  he  said  he  was committed to improving background checks and working on mental health.
A strong supporter of gun rights   [TGT]has nonetheless indicated in recent days that  he  is willing to consider ideas not in keeping with National Rifle Association orthodoxy  including age restrictions for buying assault-type weapons. Still  gun owners are a key part of  his  base of supporters.
The student body president at the Parkland school  Julia Cordover  tearfully told  [TGT]that she "was lucky enough to come home from school."
 Trump  later tweeted that  he  would "always remember" the meeting. "So much love in the midst of so much pain. We must not let them down. We must keep our children safe!!"
"His point was ( [TGT]needs) to come to Parkland  we're not going there " she said.
Throughout the day Wednesday  television news showed footage of student survivors of the violence marching on the Florida state Capitol  calling for tougher laws. The protests came closer to  Trump   too  with hundreds of students from suburban Maryland attending a rally at the Capitol and then marching to the White House.
Inside the executive mansion   [TGT]said at the end of an hour listening to tales of pain and anguish  "Thank you for pouring out your hearts because the world is watching and we're going to come up with a solution."
Television personality Geraldo Rivera had dinner with [TGT]at his private Palm Beach club over the weekend and described  [TGT]as "deeply affected" by his visit Friday with Parkland survivors. In an email  Rivera said he and  [TGT]discussed the idea of raising the minimum age to purchase assault-type weapons.
 [TGT]  "suggested strongly that he was going to act to strengthen background checks " Rivera said.
 [TGT]embraced gun rights during  [TGT]  presidential campaign  though  [TGT]  supported some gun control before  [TGT]  became a candidate  backing an assault weapons ban and a longer waiting period to purchase a gun in a 2000 book.
On Tuesday   [TGT]directed the Justice Department to move to ban devices like the rapid-fire bump stocks used in last year's Las Vegas massacre. The White House has also said  [TGT]  was looking at a bill that would strengthen federal gun background checks.