Brussels, 17/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 14 December, European leaders gave their reactions to the shooting in an American school that claimed 27 lives, including 20 children between age 6 and 7, the same day. The leaders stressed their shock and expressed their condolences to the families of the victims and to the American people. President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, said that it is “with deep shock and horror” that he had learned of the event, which he described as a “terrible tragedy”. “Young lives full of hope have been destroyed”, he said. High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton expressed her “shock at the tragic shooting”.
The European heads of state and government also shared their shock. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was “shocked and deeply saddened”. “It is heartbreaking to think of those who have had their children robbed from them at such a young age, when they had so much life ahead of them”, he went on. French President François Hollande said in a letter to his American counterpart Barack Obama that the news of the shooting had “horrified” him and he expressed his “solidarity” with the families of the victims “in this cruel trial”. “In this tragic context, I want to express my deepest shock and dismay at this appalling act of violence on a primary school which has claimed numerous victims”, Hollande added. German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed the “deep sadness” that she felt when this shooting happened “just before Christmas”, and must have provoked “indescribable sorrow in numerous families” (our translation).
Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon described the killing as a horrendous murder. He added that targeting children is heinous and unthinkable. (CG/transl.fl)