Despite the overwhelming objections of residents of Roseburg, Ore., on Friday Barack Obama made good on his promise (threat?) to visit the grieving town that was the scene of an horrific mass murder nine days ago. As the day of his planned visit grew near, the president made it clear that offering his sympathies in person to the survivors of the shooting victims was of paramount importance to him.
Make that most of the survivors. One family member, the father of 18-year-old Quinn Cooper, was inexplicably turned away from the meeting at Roseburg High School.
According to Fox Affiliate KPTV, James Cooper was denied entrance by the Secret Service and FBI.
Cooper, who has been divorced from Quinn’s mother since 2007 but remained in touch with his son, told reporters that local law enforcement had included him in briefings and other events involving the victims’ families.
But not so all the president’s men.
“I cannot believe the president of … the whole United States has denied a grieving father the right to see what’s going on and the right to see,” Cooper told KPTV .
All I hear is gun control, gun control… hell with gun control, that’s not the issue. The issue is we are grieving, we are hurting and he won’t see me, that’s wrong.
Cooper and his ex-wife have arranged separate funerals for their son this weekend. KPTV reports having reached out to the Secret Service to find out why Cooper was excluded but has not received a response.
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