In the wake of a series of fatal shootings across the country, President Joe Biden reiterated his plea for stricter gun control measures on Tuesday, as noted by Politico.
A succession of shootings in Philadelphia, Fort Worth, Baltimore, and Wichita, claiming at least nine lives and injuring many more over the past few days, has set an alarming record for the United States: the highest number of mass killings and fatalities ever recorded within a single year to this point.
Biden evoked the tragic Independence Day mass shooting of last year in Highland Park, Illinois, where an individual armed with an assault rifle killed seven people at a parade. He lauded the consequent steps taken by state legislators to prohibit assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in Illinois.
Although acknowledging the potential lifesaving impact of these legislative actions, Biden underscored that “a great deal more needs to be accomplished, not just in Illinois, but across the entire country, to tackle the crisis of gun violence that is fragmenting our communities.”
In his call for wider-reaching gun control measures on Tuesday, Biden appealed to U.S. lawmakers to adopt secure gun storage laws, terminate the legal protection of gun manufacturers against liability, and implement universal background checks.
“I am encouraging other states to follow in Illinois’ footsteps and continue to invite Republican lawmakers in Congress to engage in discussions on sensible, popularly-backed reforms,” he stated.
He further expressed, through a statement, his and First Lady Jill Biden’s profound sorrow for those who have lost their lives to gun violence. “We long for the day when our communities will be devoid of gun violence,” he added.
Despite multiple attempts, significant gun control measures have consistently stumbled in Congress over the past few decades. However, legislation was passed and signed by the president in June of the previous year, aiming to prevent individuals dealing with mental health crises from accessing firearms.
