Joe Biden calls for stronger gun measures after Texas school shooting including ban on assault weapons

Joe Biden calls for stronger gun measures after Texas school shooting including ban on assault weapons
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Aden-Jay Wood

By Aden-Jay Wood


Published: 03/06/2022

- 14:11

Updated: 14/02/2023

- 11:05

Mr Biden called on Congress to ban assault weapons, expand background checks and implement other gun control measures

Joe Biden has urged Congress for stronger measures to prevent mass shootings in the US.

The measures the US President wants implemented include raising the age to purchase assault weapons from 18 to 21.


During a televised address yesterday, Mr Biden said: “Don’t tell me raising the age won't make a difference. Enough.”

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about gun violence during a primetime address from the White House in Washington, U.S., June 2, 2022. REUTERS/Leah Millis
Joe Biden has urged Congress to implement stronger gun measures
LEAH MILLIS

Mr Biden also urged Congress to ban assault weapons, expand background checks and implement other sensible gun control measures.

He said: "According to new data just released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, guns are the number one killer of children in the United States of America, the number one killer, more than car accidents, more than cancer.

“Over the last two decades, more school aged children have died from guns than on duty police officers and active duty military combined. Think about that. More kids than on duty cops killed by guns, more kids than soldiers killed by guns.

“For God's sake, how much more carnage are we willing to accept? How many more innocent American lives must be taken before we say enough, enough."

"We need to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. And if we can't ban assault weapons, then we should raise the age to purchase them from 18 to 21, strengthen background checks, enact safe storage law and red flag laws."

He continued: “Repeal the immunity that protects gun manufacturers from liability. Address the mental health crisis, deepening the trauma of gun violence as a consequence that violence. These are rational, common-sense measures.

His comments come days after 19 children and two teachers were shot dead at a school in Texas
His comments come days after 19 children and two teachers were shot dead at a school in Texas
MARCO BELLO

“Here's what it all means. It all means this. We should reinstate the assault weapons ban on high-capacity magazines that we passed in 1994 with bipartisan support in Congress, and the support of law enforcement.

“Nine categories of semiautomatic weapons were included in that ban, like AK-47s and AR-15s. And in the ten years it was law, mass shootings went down.

“But after Republicans let the law expire in 2004, those weapons were allowed to be sold again, mass shootings tripled. Those are the facts.”

His comments come days after 19 children and two adults were reported dead after a teenage gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, died at the scene.

Mr Biden continued: "The damage is so devastating in Uvalde parents had to do DNA swabs to identify the remains of their children, nine and 10 year old children.

“Enough. We should expand background checks to keep guns out of the hands of felons, fugitives and those under restraining orders.

“Stronger background checks are something that the vast majority of Americans, including the majority of gun owners, agree on"

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