Biden calls for gun reform on Highland Park anniversary: ​​’Much more must be done’

After three consecutive shootings this week, President Joe Biden condemned gun violence in the US and once again advocated for stricter gun laws.

On Sunday afternoon, two people died and 28 were injured — including many children — in a shooting at a Baltimore block party. On Monday night, five people died and two were injured in a separate mass shooting in Philadelphia. Another mass shooting occurred at a festival in Fort Worth, Texas, the same night, with three dead and eight wounded. Tragedies add to the growing list of mass shootings plaguing the country.

“Today, Jill and I grieve for those who have lost their lives, and as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day our communities are free from gun violence,” Biden said at the statement on Tuesday.

On the anniversary of the 2022 massacre at a 4th of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, in which seven people died and more than 30 were injuredthe president also recognized recent efforts by that state to combat gun violence.

Since the tragedy, Illinois has passed a law to ban assault weapons — including the one used in the Highland Park shooting — and high-capacity magazines in the state, marking a major victory for gun safety.

“Your achievement will save lives. But it won’t take away the pain from him. It will not bring back the seven Americans killed in Highland Park or heal the wounds and trauma that many others will continue to bear,” Biden said in the statement. “And as we have seen in recent days, much more must be done in Illinois and across America to address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart.”

Last year, Biden signed the most significant anti-gun violence legislation in three decades. the reference point Bipartisan Safer Communities Act He outlined ways to reduce gun violence in the US, including expanding mental health services and school security, restrictions on gun purchases, and enhanced background checks for people under 21.

Several Democrats have been avid supporters of anti-gun violence reforms, including bans on assault weapons. But many Republican leaders have resisted weapons regulations, despite the sustained increase in armed violence. Has been over 340 mass shootings in the US so far in 2023, according to the Armed Violence Archive.

Still, Biden and other lawmakers have insisted on more gun reforms legislation.

“It is within our power to once again ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require safe gun storage, end gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability, and enact universal background checks,” Biden said. in the statement.

He continued: “I urge other states to follow Illinois’ example, and I continue to call on Republican lawmakers in Congress to come to the table on meaningful, common-sense reforms that the American people support.”