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Obama to travel to Oregon to visit families of shooting victims

by Jesse Byrnes - 10/06/15 8:51 AM ET

President Obama is heading to Roseburg, Ore., on Friday to visit the families of the victims from last week’s shooting at a community college there.

Obama was already slated to visit the Pacific Northwest on Friday for a fundraiser for Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) in Seattle amid a four-day swing through the West Coast.

{mosads}Obama voiced frustration on gun laws twice last week after nine people were killed and several others injured during a shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon.

The president ordered flags at the White House, public buildings and military installations to be flown at half-staff through Tuesday evening out of respect for the victims.

Obama’s visit to Oregon was criticized by some, including Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson during an appearance Tuesday morning on Fox News.

“Imagine, a politician politicizing something,” Carson deadpanned.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest pushed back on suggestions Obama is politicizing his visit to the community, describing meetings with the families as private with little publicity.

“I think in this instance, Jon, on Friday morning, the trip would not be about politics but that trip would be about merely consoling the families of those who were so profoundly affected by that tragedy,” Earnest said in response to a question from ABC’s Jonathan Karl.

–This report was updated at 1:41 p.m.

Tags Barack Obama Barack Obama Guns