AURORA — President Barack Obama quoted scripture to say that “He will wipe away every tear and death shall be no more” at the University of Colorado Hospital Sunday evening.
“I come to them not so much as president but as a father and a husband,” Obama said. “I confessed to them that while words are always inadequate in these kinds of situations, my main task is to be a representative of the entire country and to let them know that we think about them each and every day.”
Obama arrived earlier at the hospital where several victims from the Aurora theater shootings are being treated.
The arrival was attended by a spectacular summer thunderstorm rolled in, thunder, lightning and some much-needed rain.
The president earlier touched down in Air Force One at Buckley Air Force Base under a partly cloudy sky.
At the air base, Obama shook hands with Air Force Col. Daniel Dant, the commanding officer at Buckley, before greeting Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan, police Chief Dan Oates, Gov. John Hickenlooper, Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet and Rep. Ed Perlmutter.
After brief greetings, the group piled into a limousine and left the base.
There was a light moment when the president encouraged Chief Oates to join in his car, which the chief did after a bit of prodding.
The motorcade headed west on East Sixth Avenue from the base, with a few crowds of onlookers waiving and snapping pictures as it passed.
Twenty-three patients were brought to the hospital in the aftermath of the Cinema 16 Aurora theater shootings July 20.
Of those, one died and 12 were treated and released. Seven remain in critical condition and three in good condition, hospital officials said. Fifteen of the victims suffered gunshot wounds.
Meanwhile, an Obama campaign official said that all of President Obama’s ads will remain pulled in Colorado for the rest of the week.
Allison Sherry: 202-662-8907, asherry@denverpost.com or twitter.com/allisonsherry
