After three back-to-back shootings this week, President Joe Biden condemned gun violence within the U.S. and as soon as once more pleaded for tighter gun legal guidelines.
On Sunday night, two folks have been killed and 28 injured — together with many youngsters — in a taking pictures at a neighborhood block occasion in Baltimore. On Monday night time, 5 folks have been killed and two have been injured in a separate mass taking pictures in Philadelphia. Yet one more mass taking pictures occurred at a pageant in Fort Price, Texas, the identical night time, with three folks killed and eight others injured. The tragedies add to the rising listing of mass shootings plaguing the nation.
“As we speak, Jill and I grieve for many who have misplaced their lives and, as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities can be free from gun violence,” Biden mentioned within the assertion on Tuesday.
On the anniversary of the 2022 bloodbath at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, during which seven folks died and greater than 30 have been injured, the president additionally acknowledged that state’s current efforts to fight gun violence.
For the reason that tragedy, Illinois has handed laws to ban assault weapons — together with the one used within the Highland Park taking pictures — and high-capacity magazines within the state, marking a serious win for gun security.
“Their achievement will save lives. But it surely is not going to erase their grief. It is not going to convey again the seven Individuals killed in Highland Park or heal the accidents and trauma that scores of others will proceed to hold,” Biden mentioned within the assertion. “And as we’ve got seen over the previous few days, rather more should be performed in Illinois and throughout America to deal with the epidemic of gun violence that’s tearing our communities aside.”
Final yr, Biden signed probably the most vital anti-gun-violence laws previously three a long time. The landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act outlined methods to scale back gun violence within the U.S., together with expansions to psychological well being providers and faculty safety, gun buy restrictions and enhanced background checks for folks below 21.
A number of Democrats have been avid proponents of anti-gun-violence reforms, together with assault weapon bans. However many GOP leaders have resisted gun laws, regardless of the sustained surge in gun violence. There have been over 340 mass shootings throughout the U.S. to this point in 2023, in line with the Gun Violence Archive.
Nonetheless, Biden and different lawmakers have insisted on extra gun reform laws.
“It’s inside our energy to as soon as once more ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to require protected storage of weapons, to finish gun producers’ immunity from legal responsibility, and to enact common background checks,” Biden mentioned within the assertion.
He continued: “I urge different states to observe Illinois’ lead, and proceed to name upon Republican lawmakers in Congress to come back to the desk on significant, commonsense reforms that the American folks help.”