Obama: US 'Should Be Ashamed' Of Gun Violence

Barack Obama has said he is ashamed as an American and terrified as a parent that the US has been unable to pass gun-control measures.

The President was speaking hours after a shooting at an Oregon high schoo l that left a student dead and a teacher injured.

"My biggest frustration so far is the fact that this society has not been willing to take some basic steps to keep guns out of the hands of people who can do just unbelievable damage," Mr Obama said.

He said the US was the only developed country in the world that permits this type of behaviour.

"We should be ashamed of that," Mr Obama said.

"There's no place else like this."

Mr Obama was speaking at a White House online event sponsored by Tumblr.

His remarks were made amid a spate of shootings across the nation.

In the Oregon shooting, a teen gunman opened fire as classes began.

A 14-year-old student, Emilio Hoffman, was killed, while a physical education teacher received non-life-threatening injuries.

The gunman, who has not been named, later killed himself.

Last week, a man opened fire at Seattle Pacific University. And in May, six students at the University of California at Santa Barbara were killed.

"The country has to do some soul-searching about this," the President said.

"This is becoming the norm and we take it for granted in ways that as a parent are terrifying to me."

Mr Obama spent the early part of 2013 trying to persuade Congress to approve legislation to approve legislation after a school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children were killed.

The move would have imposed some restrictions on gun ownership but the effort failed amid pressure from the National Rifle Association lobby.

In 2013, Mr Obama also issued 23 executive orders related to gun violence in an attempt to take whatever modest steps he could without requiring a congressional vote.

"Most members of Congress - and to some degree this is bipartisan - are terrified of the NRA," Mr Obama said.

He said the majority of Americans support gun control steps but do not feel passionately enough about it to punish lawmakers who disagree.

"Until that happens, sadly, not that much is going to change," he added.

Since Newtown, there have been 74 shootings at schools and campuses, according to a group called Everytown for Gun Safety, which advocates tougher gun laws.