[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 24 (Monday, June 18, 2007)]
[Page 799]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the ``Report to the President on Issues Raised by the 
Virginia Tech Tragedy''

June 13, 2007

    Shortly after the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech, I directed 
Secretary Michael Leavitt, Secretary Margaret Spellings, and Attorney 
General Alberto Gonzales to examine the broad and complex issues raised 
by this tragedy. I asked them to determine how the Federal Government 
could best help to support State and local efforts to ensure that our 
communities, including college campuses, are safe. They responded 
quickly, traveling to a dozen States to hear from Governors, law 
enforcement officials, mental health professionals, educators, and other 
State and local officials.
    They learned a great deal and today presented me with their key 
findings. I look forward to reviewing their recommendations in more 
detail, but a few points are immediately clear: Information sharing 
among the health care, law enforcement, and education communities must 
improve; those groups must better understand the Federal laws related to 
information sharing; and accurate, complete information sharing between 
States and the Federal Government is essential in helping to keep guns 
out of the wrong hands and to punish those who break the law.
    I thank Secretaries Leavitt and Spellings and Attorney General 
Gonzales for their fine work on this important report.
    With the findings in this report in mind, I am closely following 
legislative efforts to strengthen the instant background check system. I 
look forward to working with Congress on this effort.