Following a series of mass shootings over the Independence Day weekend, President Biden reiterated his call for a renewed ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. In a statement released on Tuesday, Biden expressed his condolences for the victims and their families, stating, "Today, Jill and I grieve for those who have lost their lives and, as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence. It is within our power to once again ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to require safe storage of guns, to end gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability, and to enact universal background checks."
The President's renewed appeal comes after several tragic incidents. A shooting in Philadelphia claimed the lives of five people and injured a 2-year-old and a 13-year-old. In Fort Worth, Texas, a shooting at a festival resulted in three fatalities and eight injuries. Baltimore also witnessed a mass shooting at a block party, leaving two dead and 28 injured. Additionally, a shooting at a nightclub in Wichita, Kansas, resulted in 11 injuries.
Biden specifically referenced the one-year anniversary of the Highland Park, Illinois, Fourth of July parade shooting, which left seven dead and 48 injured. He commended Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker for signing legislation banning assault weapons in the state and urged other states and Republican lawmakers in Congress to take similar action. He called for "meaningful, commonsense reforms that the American people support."
