President Biden on Wednesday marked the anniversary of a shooting at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school that left 19 children dead, offered sympathy to the victims’ families and pleaded again for Congress to act to stop it. the epidemic of gun violence in the United States.
“Too many schools, too many everyday places have become killing fields for communities in all parts of America,” Biden said in remarks at the White House. “And in every place, you hear the same message: Do something. For God’s sake, please, do something.”
Biden noted that Congress passed a bipartisan gun safety bill last summer after the shooting in Uvalde and a shooting several days earlier in Buffalo, NY, but lamented that it was “not nearly enough.”
He called on Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, establish universal background checks and red flag laws that allow authorities to confiscate weapons from individuals. who are considered a threat to themselves or others, and end the immunity of gun manufacturers to avoid liability.
“It’s time to act. It’s time to make our voices heard. Unlike Democrats or Republicans. But as friends, neighbors, parents and fellow Americans,” Biden said, asking “how many more parents are going to live out their worst nightmare before we stand up to the gun lobby.
On May 24, 2022, a gunman entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde and killed 19 children and two teachers. Eighteen were injured, including 14 students.
The president, who was joined by first lady Jill Biden on Wednesday, stood in front of candles lit to honor each of the victims.
Biden visited Uvalde shortly after the shooting to pay respects to the victims and mourn with the families.
The legislation, signed into law by the president in June, improves background checks for gun buyers between the ages of 18 and 21, makes obtaining firearms through straw purchases or sales a federal offense. and clarified the definition of a federally licensed firearms dealer, among other measures.
The bill was seen as a major victory after years of gridlock prevented any significant gun legislation from being passed after mass shootings like Sandy Hook. But the country continues to see an onslaught of gun violence, including in schools.
In March, three nine-year-olds and three adults died in a shooting at a school in Nashville. In April, two people were killed and four others were injured after shots were fired into a crowd in Louisville, Ky.
After each of the shootings, Biden pleaded with Congress to pass an assault weapons ban and end immunity for gun manufacturers to help the nation’s gun violence epidemic. The president has signed several executive actions to curb gun sales and the rise in gun violence, but the White House has repeatedly said Congress must act to solve the problem.
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