Biden says congress should require stricter gun control
17 Apr 2023 01:04pm
US President Joe Biden has called on Congress to tighten gun control measures - FILEPIC
Biden said on Sunday that at least four people were killed at a teenager’s birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama on Saturday night. In a separate shooting incident, two people were killed at a public park in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday.
"Guns are the leading killer of children in America, and the numbers are rising - not declining," Biden said in a Sunday statement, in the wake of this weekend’s gun violence. He added that the situation is "outrageous and unacceptable" and that "Americans agree and want lawmakers to act on commonsense gun safety reforms."
Biden criticised Republicans for attending the Friday convention of the National Rifle Association (NRA) amid the surge in gun violence. The convention in Indianapolis was attended by Former US President Donald Trump.
"It is within Congress’ power to require safe storage of firearms, require background checks for all gun sales, eliminate gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability, and ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines - and this should happen without delay," Biden emphasised.
Last summer, Biden signed a bipartisan gun control bill that expands background checks for potential buyers under the age of 21, strengthens laws against arms trafficking and the practice of purchasing a gun for someone prohibited from buying a firearm, and expands funding for the US mental health system.
Congress broke a stalemate on gun control efforts following the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two teachers dead.
Earlier this month, five people were confirmed dead after a shooting incident at a bank in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. The shooter was an employee of the bank. On March 27, a 28-year-old female shooter, a former student, opened fire at The Covenant School in the state of Tennessee. The shooter fatally wounded three 9-year-olds and three staff, including the head teacher, before being killed by police - BERNAMA
