President Joe Biden of the United States has called on Congress to pass gun control bills in the wake of the recent mass shooting that left nine people dead, including the gunman, at a Texas mall.
The US number one man renewed calls for Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as to enact universal background checks and end immunity for gun manufacturers.
However, experts believe that there is little chance the narrowly divided House and Senate would pass such legislation, although polls show most people in the United States support background checks.
In a statement, the President said “Once again I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers”.
“I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe,” he added.
The leader, who had in the past made similar pleas, said the assailant at Allen Premium Outlets mall in Allen, a northern suburb of Dallas, wore tactical gear and was armed with an AR-15-style assault weapon.
The statement said “Too many families have empty chairs at their dinner tables. Republican members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough.”
Local reports have it that the gunman killed eight people, including children, and wounded at least seven, before a police officer killed him, police said on Saturday.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, mass shootings have become commonplace in the US, with at least 199 so far in 2023, the most at this point in the year since at least 2016. The non-profit group defines a mass shooting as any in which four or more people are wounded or killed, not including the shooter.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats stressed the need to pass stronger gun safety legislation to curtail gun violence.
