Bullets and Prayers: President Trump delivered a brief speech yesterday about the Parkland, Fla. school shooting in which he talked about mental health, prayers, and making schools safer, but he never mentioned guns or how a mentally disturbed teenager could legally buy the assault rifle used to kill 17 people.

Trump said, “We are committed to working with state and local leaders to help secure our schools, and tackle the difficult issue of mental health.” A year ago, Trump signed a law to make it easier for people with mental illness to obtain guns.

Thousands of people gathered last night at an outdoor candle light memorial for the victims. Chants of “No more guns!” rose from the crowd.

The Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools Alberto M. Carvalho, delivered an impassioned speech yesterday in which he said, “At what point — after how many killed? — will we have the courage to address the issue of access to guns and gun ownership?” He asked, “There are some on this equation who will only want to talk about mental health. Others will only want to talk about gun control. How about being reasonable, and talking about both?”

Florida State Rep. Jared Moskowitz said, “You know what is going to happen after this? Nothing. Politicians need to look these parents in the face and say: We will do nothing.”

The accused shooter, Nikolas Cruz, appeared in court yesterday to face 17 charges of premeditated murder. His public defender, Melisa McNeill, said her client is remorseful and, “He is fully aware of what is going on, and he’s just a broken human being.”

Among the dead are a teacher, the athletic director, and a coach who all tried to save students. Witnesses said assistant football coach Aaron Feis stepped in front of gunfire aimed at kids.

Investigators say Cruz yesterday afternoon took an Uber to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and opened fire outside with his AR-15, before entering the building. When he was done shooting, he ditched his rifle and backpack and ran with fleeing students. The police say Cruz walked to a Walmart, bought a drink at a Subway, and stopped at a McDonald’s before a police officer recognized him by his description.

Cruz has a record of disturbing posts on social media, including pictures of guns and knives and mentions of killing animals. Last year the FBI investigated a YouTube posting that may have come from Cruz, but they were unable to trace it back to him. The post said, “Im going to be a professional school shooter.”

Borderline: The Senate shot down three immigration bills yesterday, including one approved by President Trump, dimming hopes of a March 5 resolution for the so-called Dreamers brought to the country illegally when they were children.

The bills met opposition from both ends of the political spectrum. The more extreme conservatives voted against eventual citizenship for the Dreamers, and some Democrats held out against tighter and tougher rules for legal immigration.

In one vote the Senate was opposed 39 to 60, to the White House-favored bill that would have devoted $25 billion to Trump’s southern border wall and given 1.8 million Dreamers a path to citizenship.

The always colorful South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said, “I don’t think the president helped very much, but the bottom line is the demagogues won again on the left and the right.”

Hear My Plea: Former Trump campaign adviser Rick Gates is close to making a plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller’s office, which means he would cooperate with the Russia investigation, CNN reports according to sources.

The network says Gates has “had what criminal lawyers call a ‘Queen for a Day’ interview, in which a defendant answers any questions from the prosecutors’ team, including about his own case and other potential criminal activity he witnessed.”

Gates would be the third former Trump associate to make a plea deal in trade for information. Gate is also a former business associate of one-time Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, who has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges. Gates could help nail Manafort, or put pressure on him to turn on higher-ups in the campaign.

Also in the Russia business, former Trump Chief Strategist Steve Bannon is reported to have met twice this week with the Special Counsel’s office.

Five Rings: Mikaela Shiffrin, who said she was vomiting minutes before starting the event, came in fourth in the slalom, usually her best event. She won the gold four years ago. — Wearing a red Iron Man helmet, South Korea’s Yun Sung-bin won gold in the men’s skeleton, his country’s first-ever sliding medal.

Social Notes: Actress Jennifer Anniston, the perpetual girl-next-door who’s now 49, has split with her husband of two years, Justin Theroux.

It’s the second split for Anniston who’s been unlucky in love. She used to be married to Brad Pitt, who left her for Angelina Jolie. (Pitt has since left Jolie to save his life.)

Anniston and Theroux said their breakup was “mutual and lovingly made at the end of last year” and that they “decided to part ways as a couple, but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship.”

Sounds like a nasty Hollywood divorce.

-30-