Florida’s Republican governor embraced a sweeping gun laws package in response to a deadly high school shooting, vowing to keep firearms away from mentally ill people and dispatch armed law enforcement officers to every school.

Governor Rick Scott and other Florida politicians have come under tremendous pressure to act after a gunman killed 17 students and teachers last week at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. In a press conference announcing his agenda, Mr Scott endorsed swift action before the state Legislature adjourns.

“We must get this done in the next two weeks”, he said.

Part of Mr Scott’s response involved limiting access to firearms. He endorsed raising the age for buying any type of firearm to 21, with exemptions for military personnel and law enforcement, and advocated measures to prohibit gun ownership for people who are mentally ill or deemed to pose a threat.

The latter proposal would allow courts to bar mentally ill or potentially violent people from possessing or purchasing firearms when a family member, welfare expert or law enforcement officer offered evidence of “a threat of violence involving firearms or other weapons”, Mr Scott said.

Suspected Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz had allegedly spoken about his desire to inflict violence - behaviour that the FBI was made aware of but did not investigate - and multiple government agencies were aware of a video in which he cut himself and talked about owning a gun.

Florida shooting – in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Florida shooting – in pictures Florida shooting – in pictures Police arrest a suspect in connection with the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida Reuters Florida shooting – in pictures Parents wait for news after reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida AP Florida shooting – in pictures Anxious family members wait for news of students AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee Florida shooting – in pictures Students being evacuated from the school AP Florida shooting – in pictures Students being evacuated from the school Getty Florida shooting – in pictures People gather waiting for word from students AP Florida shooting – in pictures Parents waiting for news on their children AP Florida shooting – in pictures People gather at a hotel where students were taken after the shooting Getty Florida shooting – in pictures Florida Governor Rick Scott speaks to the media as he visits Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following the shooting AFP/Getty Florida shooting – in pictures Dr. Igor Nichiporenko, Medical Director Trauma, left, and Dr. Evan Boyer, Medical Director, Emergency Services, speak about treating victims and the suspect at a press conference outside Broward Health North hospital AP

“This person was not stopped from legally purchasing a weapon, was not arrested, was not detained, and was never forced to turn in his weapons,” Mr Scott said, advocating doing “everything we can to keep guns out of the hands of those dealing with mental problems or threatening harms to themselves or others”.

The other piece of Mr Scott’s agenda would fortify school security with a $450 million outlay that would include stationing armed law enforcement personnel in every public school. Mr Scott said they would be sheriff’s deputies or police officers, downplaying a proposal - embraced by Donald Trump - to arm teachers.

“I disagree with arming the teachers. My focus is on bringing in law enforcement,” Mr Scott said. “Let law enforcement do the keeping us safe and let teachers focus on teaching”.

The Governor also called for banning bump stocks, a device that harnesses a gun’s recoil to enable more rapid firing.