Biden: 'Action is what we owe' those grieving Michigan State shooting
President Biden on Tuesday urged Congress to take action against gun violence in the wake of the shooting at Michigan State University that left three students dead and injured five others.
“Our hearts are with these young victims and their families, the broader East Lansing and Lansing communities, and all Americans across the country grieving as the result of gun violence,” Biden said in a statement.
Biden noted that the Michigan State shooting took place one day before the five-year anniversary of when a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The convergence of those two events “should cause every American to exclaim 'enough' and demand that Congress take action,” Biden said.
Biden reiterated his pleas from his State of the Union address last week, when he urged Congress to require background checks on all gun sales, ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and eliminate immunity for gun manufacturers “who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets.”
“Action is what we owe to those grieving today in Michigan and across America,” Biden said.
A gunman killed three students and wounded five others at Michigan State University late Monday and then fatally shot himself off the East Lansing campus, police said.
The shooter opened fire at two locations on campus, an academic building and a student union area, according to authorities, prompting an hours-long manhunt as students sheltered in place.
Biden spoke Monday night with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) to offer federal resources as the state deals with the aftermath of the incident.
Biden has signed multiple executive orders on gun violence since taking office, with some focusing in particular on cracking down on the use of ghost guns that are difficult to trace. The Justice Department has also used additional funding and task forces focused on gun violence to try to address the issue.
Still, mass shootings have remained a prevalent problem. Biden administration officials have said it is a priority for the president, though they acknowledged there is only so much he can do without action from Congress.
Lawmakers last year passed a bipartisan gun safety bill in the wake of a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The bill enhanced background checks for gun purchasers between the ages of 18 and 21, made obtaining firearms through straw purchases or trafficking a federal offense, and clarified the definition of a federally licensed firearm dealer.
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