“There’s a whole host of issues surrounding this matter from mental health to school safety and a range of other things we’re going to be looking at," White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah said. | Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo White House: Florida shooter 'obviously' shouldn't have had 'that weapon'

A top White House spokesperson said Friday the suspected shooter who killed 17 at a Florida high school "obviously" shouldn't have been able to legally obtain the weapon he used in the deadly onslaught.

Principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah was pressed on whether President Donald Trump felt it was right that Nikolas Cruz, the alleged gunman who opened fire on students and staffers in Parkland on Wednesday, was able to legally obtain the AR-15 assault-style rifle he is accused of using in the shooting at the age of 19.


“In this instance, this individual did obtain the weapon through a legal background check," Shah told Fox News. "We don’t know all the circumstances surrounding it, but obviously he shouldn’t have had that weapon and shouldn’t have been able to do the kinds of things that he did.”

Shah did not specify what limits should have been imposed to keep someone like Cruz from obtaining such a gun. But he added: “With that being said, there’s a whole host of issues surrounding this matter from mental health to school safety and a range of other things we’re going to be looking at."

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The president notably failed to mention guns in a national address on Thursday in response to the fatal shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, emphasizing instead the need to deal with mental health.

“We are committed to working with state and local leaders to help secure our schools and tackle the difficult issue of mental health," Trump said in his first public appearance in the aftermath of Wednesday's shooting.

Democratic lawmakers responded to the shooting by issuing calls for increased regulations on guns, but Republican officials argued against the push. Legislation to beef up gun laws have repeatedly stalled in Congress in recent years.

Shah on Friday stressed that "in the wake of tragedies you have to look at everything," but also cautioned officials to not overreach and infringe on citizens' constitutional right to bear arms.