Friday, May 21, 1999 Published at 07:01 GMT 08:01 UK
New gun law follows school shooting
Students were having breakfast when gunman struck
The United States Senate has approved new measures to curb gun ownership shortly after another school shooting left six pupils injured, one critically, in an incident in Georgia.
The measures, which were approved as part of a bill to fight juvenile crime, come exactly one month after the country's worst ever school shooting, at Columbine High School, Colorado.
The bill will require background checks to be made on those attempting to buy firearms at America's 5,000 or so annual gun shows.
He said that, while the deeper causes for youth violence had to be addressed, gun controls were an obvious first step.
A 15-year-old girl was in a stable but critical condition at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital after being shot in the stomach by a fellow student.
On the same day President Clinton made a scheduled visit to Columbine High School, one month after 12 students and a teacher were killed by two teenage gunmen there.
Speaking to the assembled students, Mr Clinton urged Congress to forge ahead with stricter gun control measures in the light of the latest attack, which he called "deeply troubling".
Mr Clinton told students and their families their experience had changed America. "What happened to you has pierced the soul of America," he said.
But in order to become law the Senate bill must also pass the House of Representatives, where it will face further pressure from America's powerful gun lobby.
A 15-year-old white male was arrested immediately after the Georgia shooting and a .22 rifle recovered.
Students said the gunman walked into the school cafeteria carrying a shotgun, fired several times then ran back outside.
"Some guy was in front of the girls' bathroom in the common area, just firing off shots," said student Bill Price.
He said people thought is was a prank at first and took no notice.
"Then people just took off running. Then we looked at one of our friends, and his foot was bleeding," he said.
Teacher Tony Gray said the student immediately surrendered to the assistant principal.