President Donald Trump visited the Florida town devastated by a school shooting this week, as members of the community called on him to take action to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Mr Trump first visited Broward Health North hospital, where eight victims were taken after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen students and staff members were killed in the massacre in total, and 14 more were injured.

Mr Trump and his wife, Melania, visited several of the victims at the hospital, and later met with trauma surgeon Igor Nichiporenko. According to pool reports, the president praised the “record-setting” reaction time of first responders, calling it “incredible”.

Mr Trump would later tell police officers and reporters about a female victim he met, who had been shot four times. He would also praise the victim’s families, saying they were “really great shape” given the circumstances. He would not respond to questions about changing the nation’s gun laws.

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

Mr and Ms Trump also met with members of the local police and sheriff’s departments Friday night, at a meeting attended by Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Governor Rick Scott, and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

At the meeting, Mr Trump shook hands with Officer Mike Leonard of the Coconut Creek Police Department, who told the president he had been the one to apprehend the alleged shooter.

“That was so modest, I would have told it much differently,” Mr Trump joked. “I would have said without me, they never would have found him.”

Mr Rubio also spoke at the meeting, saying the community was in great pain, and that residents "want action to make sure this doesn’t happen again”.

“You can count on it,” Mr Trump replied.

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Mr Rubio’s comments echoed those of many in the Parkland community this week, who took to airwaves and social media to ask Mr Trump to do something about the staggering number of mass shootings in America.

"President Trump, you say what can you do? You can stop the guns from getting into these children's hands," Lori Alhadeff, the mother of a 14-year-old victim, said in an emotional interview on CNN. "What can you do? You can do a lot! This is not fair to our families and our children [to] go to school and have to get killed!"