GOP sympathy for victims, Dems call for gun control

Emergency workers set up a triage center for victims of the San Bernardino, California, mass shooting Dec. 2, 2015 (Photo: WKABC screenshot)

Emergency workers set up a triage center for victims of the San Bernardino, California, mass shooting Dec. 2, 2015 (Photo: KABC screenshot)

WASHINGTON – Reaction poured in from the president, presidential candidates and other politicians to the Southern California massacre as the hunt for the shooters was still underway.

Republicans expressed sympathy for the victims, while Democrats immediately began calling for more gun control in a state that already has some of the nation's strictest restrictions on Second Amendment rights, with President Obama leading the charge.

Obama began demanding tougher gun control as the search for the shooting suspects was still underway, calling for "common-sense gun safety laws, stronger background checks," and adding, "There are steps we can take to make Americans safer, and we should come together on a bipartisan level to make these rare as opposed to normal."

"We have a pattern now of mass shootings in this country that has no parallel anywhere else in the world," he added, just two weeks after jihadists killed 130 people in Paris.

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Thursday morning, Obama said it was not yet clear if the California massacre was terrorism or workplace violence.

The Obama administration classified the 2009 Ft. Hood shooting in Texas an instance of "workplace violence."

That shooter was U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, a radicalized Muslim who shouted "Allahu Akbar!" before opening fire, killing 13 people and wounding 32.

Here's what the top 2016 presidential candidates tweeted about the San Bernardino shootings that killed 14 and wounded 21:

Hillary Clinton: I refuse to accept this as normal. We must take action to stop gun violence now.

Bernie Sanders: Mass shootings are becoming an almost-everyday occurrence in this country. This sickening and senseless gun violence must stop.

Donald Trump: California shooting looks very bad. Good luck to law enforcement and God bless. This is when our police are so appreciated!

Ted Cruz: Our prayers are with the victims, their families, and the first responders in San Bernardino who willingly go into harm's way to save others.

Ben Carson: My thoughts and prayers are with the shooting victims and their families in San Bernardino.

Authorities believe there were just two shooters in the Southern California massacre, a couple killed by police. 28-year-old Syed Rizwan Farook was a health inspector for San Bernardino County. Coworkers said he traveled to Saudi Arabia to bring home the wife he met online, 27-year-old Tashfeen Malik. Colleagues said Farook was a devout Muslim.

If the massacre is determined to be terrorism, the incident will likely increase scrutiny of Obama administration plans to take in thousands of more refugees from Muslim lands, particularly Syria.

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Here's what other 2016 presidential candidates tweeted:

Martin O'Malley: Horrifying news out of #SanBernardino. Enough is enough: it's time to stand up to the @NRA and enact meaningful gun safety laws.

Mike Huckabee: Praying for those impacted by the shooting in California today.

Jeb Bush: Praying for the victims, their families & the San Bernardino first responders in the wake of this tragic shooting.

Rand Paul: .My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, families, and brave first responders during this unspeakable tragedy.

George Pataki: Praying for the victims and first responders in #SanBernardino for a quick resolution.

John Kasich: My thoughts & prayers go out to those impacted by the shooting in San Bernardino, especially the first responders.

Lindsey Graham: Thoughts & prayers are with #SanBernardino.

Reaction by other Democrat politicians emphasized gun control.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tweeted: "As families of victims grieve & survivors heal in #SanBernardino, entire American family mourns. Enough is enough."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., issued a lengthy statement pressing for stricter background checks on gun purchases and saying, in part, "Details in San Bernardino are still murky, but what we do know is that these deadly shootings aren’t slowing down. Just a week after a deadly attack in Colorado Springs, we’re prepared to mourn more victims today."