ABC: M. Obama's gun remark edited for time

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. first lady Michelle Obama's comment that an automatic weapon killed a teen who performed at the inauguration was edited out for time, ABC said.

Police said the investigation didn't support the use of an automatic weapon in the death of Chicago teen Hadiya Pendleton, who was killed just days after she performed at President Obama's second inauguration, the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday.

In ABC's "Good Morning America" interview that aired Tuesday, Michelle Obama discussed, among other things, the death of Pendleton, a 15-year-old King College Prep High School honor student.

In the written version on ABC's website, the first lady was quoted as saying:

"She was standing out in a park with her friends in a neighborhood blocks away from where my kids ... grew up, where our house is. She had just taken a chemistry test. And she was caught in the line of fire because some kids had some automatic weapons they didn't need. I just don't want to keep disappointing our kids in this country. I want them to know that we put them first."

In the online video clip, the words "automatic weapons" were missing:

"She was standing out in a park with her friends in a neighborhood blocks away from where my kids grow -- grew -- up, where our house is. ... And she was caught in the line of fire. ... I just don't want to keep disappointing our kids in this country. I want them to know that we put them first."

ABC said in a statement the full story was published to its website before the interview was broadcast.

"The edits made to Robin's [reporter Robin Roberts] interview with the first lady were made solely for time," the statement said.

The Tribune said requests to the first lady's media office weren't immediately returned.