Obama Tells Orlando: 'Our Hearts Are Broken'

By Sky News US Team

US President Barack Obama has visited Orlando to comfort the victims of Sunday's mass shooting at a gay nightclub.

Vice President Joe Biden joined Mr Obama in the central Florida city, where families of the 49 victims are laying their loved ones to rest.
Under rainy skies, Mr Obama and Mr Biden laid flowers for the victims at a makeshift memorial in downtown Orlando.

As in previous tragedies, Mr Obama met families of the victims, survivors and emergency workers who came to their aid.

President Obama is greeted by Florida Senator Marco Rubio in Orlando

He said afterwards: "The vice president and I told them, on behalf of the American people, that our hearts are broken, too."
Mr Obama issued another exasperated plea for "common sense" gun control measures after what he described as "an act of terrorism".

Video: Orlando Gunman In 2012 Documentary

"Our politics have conspired to make it as easy as possible for a terrorist or just a disturbed individual … to buy extraordinarily powerful weapons, and they can do so legally," he said.
"That's not the meaning of liberty," he added.
The visit took place amid a bitter political feud in Washington DC over gun control and terrorism in the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting in US history.

Video: Mateen's Wife Quizzed By Police

Republican Senator John McCain said on Thursday Mr Obama was "directly responsible" for the Orlando attack because he said the President had failed to defeat the Islamic State group.
After a welter of criticism, Mr McCain said: "I misspoke. I did not mean to imply that the President was personally responsible."
Meanwhile, Republican White House candidate Donald Trump has said he will discuss with the National Rifle Association "not allowing people on the terrorist watch list, or the no-fly list, to buy guns".

Video: Orlando: Survivors' Stories

In Congress, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy ended a filibuster after nearly 15 hours on Thursday, forcing a vote on gun control.
Senator Murphy and other Democrats are pushing for a similar measure to the one spoken of by Mr Trump.
Authorities say the attack was carried out with legally purchased weapons by a 29-year-old Muslim of Afghan origin.
Investigators say New York-born Omar Mateen had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
CIA Director John Brennan told a Senate hearing on Thursday no direct link has been found between Mateen and foreign militants.