President Biden planning potential visit to Nashville after deadly mass shooting

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said planning is underway for a potential trip to Nashville in the aftermath of a deadly shooting Monday at a Christian private school that killed three students and three adults.

"That's underway now," Biden said when asked Tuesday whether he plans to visit Nashville. "We're trying to figure that out."

Consoler-in-chief after mass shootings

• Recent visits after gun violence: A subsequent visit by the president would mark yet another moment of consoler-in-chief for Biden, who has visited Monterey, California, Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas in the last year following mass shootings in those communities.

• Date not set: It's unclear when the president would visit Nashville, which would be his first to Tennessee since taking office.

• Working on talking to families: Joe Biden has spoken to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Nashville Mayor John Cooper and the city's police chief, John Drake, and is expected to talk to family members of victims. "I’m working on that now," Biden said.

'We're not gonna fix it': Why lawmakers see no chance of major gun law changes after Nashville

First lady to attend candlelight vigil in Nashville

First lady Jill Biden plans to attend a candlelight vigil Wednesday night in Nashville to honor and mourn victims of the shooting, the White House said.

Joe Biden condemned the shooting at The Covenant School, carried out by a 28-year-old shooter, as "sick" and renewed his push for Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

"Those children should all be with us still," the president said, addressing Nashville’s mass shooting during remarks Tuesday in Durham, North Carolina. "As a nation, we owe these families more than our prayers. We owe them action."

More: 'Congress has to act': Biden says there's nothing more he can do on his own to address guns

Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden says planning underway for Nashville visit after shooting