On Tuesday, President Joe Biden called for further gun restrictions following shootings that occurred throughout the nation over Independence Day weekend.
Shootings in Philadelphia, Fort Worth, Texas, and Baltimore have left at least nine people dead and dozens severely injured. As of a study conducted in mid-June, the U.S. has seen the most mass killings and deaths up to that point in just a year.
Last Fourth of July, a gunman in Highland Park, Illinois, used an assault rifle to kill seven people during a parade. Following the tragedy, state lawmakers have been working to prevent further mass shootings.
Biden has always been an advocate for stricter gun laws and called for bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in his address on Tuesday.
“I urge other states to follow Illinois’ lead, and continue to call upon Republican lawmakers in Congress to come to the table on meaningful, commonsense reforms that the American people support,” said Biden.
Americans are growing in their support for gun restrictions. According to a Fox News poll in April, 87% of people surveyed supported a requirement for criminal background checks on all gun buyers, and 61% supported a ban on assault rifles and semiautomatic weapons.
Conservatives in Congress, however, have been stalling measures to increase gun safety throughout the years. On Tuesday, Biden reminded the American people that they cannot stop pushing for reform.
“Much more must be done in Illinois and across America to address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart,” said Biden.
