PRESSURE was growing last night on President Barack Obama and US legislators to impose tough new gun restrictions, including a ban on military-style assault rifles like the one used by Adam Lanza.

Several Democratic law- makers yesterday called for a new push for US gun restrictions, including a ban on military-style assault weapons.

Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein of California, who wrote a bill banning assault weapons that lapsed in 2004, said she would urgently attempt to introduce new legislation following the country's revulsion over the killing of so many children.

"I think we could be at a tipping point ... where we might get something done," said New York's Charles Schumer, another leading Senate Democrat.

Connecticut governor Dannel Malloy became the latest to call for new gun control measures.

Referring to the shooter, he said: "We know that he was a troubled individual, and that he went to school with a number of weapons which he used on his victims and ultimately used on himself.

"I'm sure we'll come to know more about him and his problems."

Mr Obama will come under further pressure after calling for meaningful action to prevent such tragedies.

Lanza used a military-style Bushmaster .223 M4 carbine to kill most, if not all, of his victims at close range.

He also used his mother Nancy's Sig Sauer rifle and a Glock pistol.

Mr Malloy added: "These are assault weapons. You don't hunt deer with these things."

Gun rights advocates have countered calls for more restrictions by pointing out that Connecticut already has among the strictest gun laws in the United States.