Biden Calls for Stricter Gun Control in Response to Shootings on the US Independence Day

President Joe Biden criticized a “wave” of shootings that occurred before the holiday while calling for tighter gun control measures as Americans celebrated Independence Day around the nation on Tuesday.

Police and media sources state that two children were hurt and five persons were murdered in a shooting in Philadelphia on Monday night. According to CNN, three people were killed and eight others were injured in a shooting that happened overnight in Fort Worth, Texas.

The nation has already seen many gunshots on Independence Day as of Tuesday afternoon. According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), five people were harmed in Lansing, Michigan, and four people were hurt in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Four people were wounded in a second shooting in Akron, Ohio, to which police were called early on Tuesday morning, according to local media.

In a statement, Vice President Joe Biden mentioned the shootings in Philadelphia, Fort Worth, and Lansing as well as more recent incidents of gun violence in Baltimore, Wichita, Kansas, and Chicago. He added that “over the last few days, our nation has once again endured a wave of tragic and senseless shootings in communities across America.”

The president remarked, “As our country observes Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence.”

A shooter murdered seven people and injured scores more during a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, the previous year. Instead of the usual parade and celebrations this year, the suburb organized a memorial service, according to organizers.

Regarding the anniversary of the incident, Biden remarked, “In a matter of moments, this day of patriotic pride became a scene of pain and tragedy.”

Police in Philadelphia claimed to have captured the gunman, but they did not disclose his motivation.

Danielle Outlaw, the commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department, stated, “We have no clue why this occurred.

The suspect had a rifle and a pistol in addition to a protective vest.

As of Tuesday afternoon, no arrests had been made in Fort Worth.

Mayor Mattie Parker said on Twitter, “I am devastated by the news of a mass shooting in Fort Worth last night.” I feel so bad for the victims.

According to the GVA’s record, there have been at least 346 mass shootings in the US this year. A mass shooting, according to the GVA, is a gun-related occurrence in which at least four individuals are hurt or killed.

Last year, more than 44,000 individuals were murdered by firearms, almost 24,000 of them committed suicide.

Biden praised the gun control laws approved in Illinois in the wake of the Highland Park shooting and stated, “Much more must be done… to address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart.”

“I encourage other states to follow Illinois’ example, and I keep urging Republican Congressmen to meet with us to discuss substantive, sensible reforms that the American people support.”