Story highlights Trump spoke in Tokyo just hours after the shooting

He said his "thoughts and prayers" are with the victims and their families

Tokyo (CNN) President Donald Trump said Monday that he believes the Texas church shooting was caused by a "mental health problem," not an issue with gun laws in the United States.

"Mental health is your problem here," Trump said, noting that "based on preliminary reports" the shooter was "a very deranged individual."

"This isn't a guns situation," Trump said. "This is a mental health problem at the highest level. It's a very, very sad event."

"A very, very sad event, but that's the way I view it," Trump said.

Trump's answer came in response to a question during a joint news conference Monday in Tokyo about whether he believed gun control measures were the answer to the Texas shooting.