U.S. & World News

BLACKSBURG, Va. (CBS News) ― President Bush said Monday that the mass shooting at Virginia Tech, the deadliest campus violence ever in this country, affects every student across the nation.

"Schools should be places of safety, sanctuary and learning," said President Bush, as the death toll from the campus shootings rose from just over 20 to more than 30. "When that sanctuary is violated, the impact is felt in every American classroom in every American community."

President Bush spoke with Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and Virginia Tech President Charles Steger.

"I told them that Laura and I and many across our nation are praying for the victims and all the members of university community that have been devastated by this terrible tragedy," said the president, in a late afternoon appearance in the Diplomatic Room of the White House.

"Our nation grieves with those who have lost loved ones at Virginia Tech," he said. "We hold the victims in our hearts. We lift them up in our prayers and we ask a loving God to comfort those who are suffering today.'"

The Senate approved a resolution Monday night extending condolences to the victims of the shooting. The resolution - drafted by John Warner (R-Va.) and Jim Webb (D-Va.) and co-sponsored by all 100 Senators – also expresses the hope that the tragedy will "lead to a shared national commitment to take steps that will help our communities prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future."

In the House, which returned Monday from a two-week recess, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., interrupted the proceedings to lead a moment of silence in remembrance.

"As the Virginia Tech community struggles with the mourning and questioning that is certain to follow, the continued prayers from this Congress are with the students, their families, the faculty and the staff at Virginia Tech," Pelosi said.

Many of the presidential candidates also issued statements on the shootings.

Rudy Giuliani called it a "day of national tragedy, when we lost some of our finest to a senseless act."

"As a parent, I am filled with sorrow for the mothers and fathers and loved ones struggling with the sudden, unbearable news of a lost son or daughter, friend or family member," said Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.

"We are simply heartbroken by the deaths and injuries suffered at Virginia Tech," said Democratic hopeful John Edwards. "We know what an unspeakable, life-changing moment this is for these families and how, in this moment, it is hard to feel anything but overwhelming grief, much less the love and support around you. But the love and support is there."

Republican candidate Mitt Romney said: "The entire nation grieves for the victims of this terrible tragedy that took place today on the campus of Virginia Tech. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and the entire Virginia Tech community. Our full support is behind the law enforcement officials who are involved with stabilizing the situation and conducting an investigation."

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said the nation is mourning the dead and praying for their families and for the wounded.

"We are a grieving and shocked nation," said Obama. "Violence has once again taken too many young people from this world."

In Laredo, Texas, Sen. John McCain was asked if the rampage has changed his views on gun control.

"Obviously we have to keep guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens," said the Arizona Republican. "I do believe in the constitutional right that everyone has, in the Second Amendment to the Constitution, to carry a weapon... And so, obviously, we have to look at what happened here, but it doesn't change my views on the Second Amendment, except to make sure that these kinds of weapons don't fall into the hands of bad people."

The subject of gun control also came up at the White House Monday. White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino, describing President Bush as "horrified" by the shootings, told reporters that he "believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed."

"Certainly, bringing a gun into a school dormitory and shooting ... is against the law and something someone should be held accountable for," said Perino, noting that President Bush and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings held a conference on school gun violence last October.

A well-placed law enforcement source tells CBS News the weapons used in the massacre were a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and .22-caliber pistol.

Both are readily available in gun shops across the United States and particularly accessible in Virginia, which recently earned a C-minus rating by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

It's much too easy to get guns in the state of Virginia," said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Center.

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on campus, aiding local authorities in the investigation.

"We are committed to providing support and assistance to those authorities as well as to the victims of this crime for as long as necessary," said Gonzales. "I am deeply saddened and angered by these senseless acts of violence... My deepest condolences and prayers go out to those affected by this horrific crime, especially those who lost loved ones."

As a result of the tragedy, Gonzales' Senate testimony on the firing of eight federal prosecutors - which was scheduled to happen Tuesday - has been pushed back to Thursday.

(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)