Shocking cellphone footage of the death of Derrion Albert, 16, became a story at an inopportune time for Chicago, as it showcases its top qualities in a final pitch to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the 2016 Games.

Obama's spokesman Robert Gibbs was asked to comment on the killing a day before the president heads to Copenhagen to woo IOC members on his hometown's Games bid, before Friday's final vote on the venue of the 2016 sporting extravaganza.

"The reports and the video that we have seen on television is among the most shocking that you can ever see, the killing of an honor student ... who's beaten to death is -- is chilling, chilling video," Gibbs said.

Obama discussed the incident in the Oval Office with top advisors on Wednesday, Gibbs said, adding that some kind of policy announcement could be expected shortly.

"This is something that the administration has been working on," Gibbs said.

"This is not just a Chicago-specific problem. Obviously, youth crime and gang violence are something that this administration takes seriously."

Gibbs would not comment on the specifics of the killing, beyond adding that it was a "heinous crime."

Jerky but shocking video of Albert's final moments show youths beating him to death with wooden planks, apparently as children head home from school.

Reports said the honor roll student was simply a bystander in violence that erupted among rival neighborhood gangs after a shooting incident.

Four youths have been charged in connection with the killing.

Obama was due to launch a whirlwind trip to Copenhagen on Thursday, arriving hours before the city makes its final presentation to the IOC.

His wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, is already in Denmark as her home city competes with Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo for the right to host the Games.

It was not clear if Internet footage of the incident in Chicago would have any impact on IOC members dictating the fate of Chicago's bid, as most big inner cities around the world have violent areas.

But it did focus attention on the gritty midwestern city's child violence problem at a moment of maximum global exposure.

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