Photo Credit: REUTERS
The US President, Joe Biden, has renewed his call for gun control as he has urged Republican lawmakers in Congress to support the ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
Biden’s renewed call for a ban on assault weapons and gun control in the US was a sequel to the "senseless and tragic" mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, where authorities said a lone gunman killed at least 18 people at two different locations.
Biden on Thursday in a written statement released by the White House, urged Republican lawmakers to "fulfill their duty to protect the American people" from gun violence.
In the wake of yet another tragedy, I urge Republican lawmakers in Congress to fulfill their duty to protect the American people.
Work with us to pass a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, enact universal background checks, and more. pic.twitter.com/8qakUrkZcK
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 26, 2023
He urged the Republican lawmakers to "work with us to pass a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to enact universal background checks, to require safe storage of guns, and end immunity from liability for gun manufacturers”.
"This is the very least we owe every American who will now bear the scars — physical and mental — of this latest attack," he said.
At least 18 people were killed and 13 more were wounded in mass shootings at Schemengees Bar and Grille and Just in Time Bowling on Wednesday night.
Reacting to the shootings, President Biden had said, "Once again, our nation is in mourning after yet another senseless and tragic mass shooting. Today, Jill and I are praying for the Americans who’ve lost their lives, for those still in critical care, and for the families, survivors, and community members enduring shock and grief."
Democrats have called for stricter gun control measures in the US but many conservatives, including former President Donald Trump, see such restrictions as an infringement on people’s constitutional rights.