A child’s question about gun violence in schools produced a rare emotional moment from White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

During her regular briefing with reporters, the normally stoic Ms Sanders fielded a question from a young man in the audience, identified by other journalists as a 13-year-old California student named Benje Choucroun who was reporting for Time for Kids.

“At my school, we recently had a lockdown drill”, the boy said, adding that he and his fellow students “worry about the fact that we or our friends could get shot at school”.

“Specifically, can you tell me what the administration has done and will do to prevent these senseless tragedies”?

Her voice audibly quavering with emotion as she fought back tears, Ms Sanders - who has three young children - replied that “as a parent, there is nothing that could be more terrifying [than] for a kid to go to school and not feel safe, so I’m sorry you feel that way”.

“This administration talked it seriously”, she added, noting that a school safety commission convened by the president was meeting this week to discuss “how we can do every single thing within our power to protect kids in our schools”.

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

The exchange drew praise from Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal, who said on Twitter he was proud the publication “has a deep bench”.

Since a school shooting in Parkland, Florida left 17 students and teachers dead, a burst of momentum towards tighter gun laws on the federal level has largely fizzled.

While Donald Trump has directed the Justice Department to ban devices known as bump stocks that enable more rapid firing, he has backed away from his initial support for tougher restrictions that would be anathema to the National Rifle Association. He recently spoke at the gun group’s annual summit.

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