US President Barack Obama has asked his deputy Joe Biden to lead a team tasked with delivering "concrete" gun control proposals by January, in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting.
Obama said the task force will include members of the cabinet and outside organisations in a mission that must report back by January, in order that the "complex" issue is not swept under the carpet.
Obama said his deputy Biden will lead the task force
"This time the words need to lead to action," Obama told a White House press briefing on Wednesday.
"We may never know all the reasons why the [Sandy Hook] tragedy happened, but we do know everyday since, more Americans have died from gun violence.
"If there is even one thing we can do to prevent these events, we all of us have an obligation to try.
"We need to reduce the epidemic of gun violence that plagues this country every single day."
He said that gun ownership was a "complex issue that stirs deeply held social and politicial divides"
Obama appointed Biden to lead the task force in the wake of the shootings
He agreed with the second amendment, adding that America was a country with a strong history of gun ownership.
However he also said the "majority of Americans" back changes to some laws, including limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines and background checks for those buying guns.
On Tuesday Obama indicated he would support the reintroduction of a ban on the ownership of assault weapons after it expired in 2004 under the leadership of President Bush.
Twenty children and six adults were killed at the school by a man wielding a semi-automatic rifle on Friday.
Earlier on Wednesday, the family of six-year-old British boy Dylan Hockley, killed in the shooting paid tribute to their "special gorgeous angel." Despite their loss, they have said they will never regret moving to the area for its "community and the elementary school."
Separately the National Rifle Association broke its silence, in their first statement since the attack. America's largest gun lobby said it was "shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders in Newtown.
"The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again," it added.
The gun control debate has continued to rage on Twitter since Obama announced the task force, with Piers Morgan leading the charge
Take a look at some more opinions from Twitter below.