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Biden urges stricter gun laws after recent shootings

Biden urged Republican lawmakers to join him in advancing “commonsense reforms,” such as a ban on assault weapons…reports Asian Lite News

US President Joe Biden has appealed to lawmakers to take action following a series of shootings in major cities leaving at least 10 dead, illustrating the country’s ongoing struggle with gun violence, reported Al Jazeera.

In a statement issued by the White House on Tuesday, Biden urged Republican lawmakers to join him in advancing “commonsense reforms,” such as a ban on assault weapons, widespread background checks, and an end to the legal immunity enjoyed by gun manufacturers. Biden said, “Over the last few days, our nation has once again endured a wave of tragic and senseless shootings in communities across America — from Philadelphia to Fort Worth, Baltimore to Lansing, Wichita to Chicago.”

As the US started a long holiday weekend that would culminate on Tuesday with Independence Day, a wave of gunshots started on Friday, according to Al Jazeera.

A sidewalk shooting occurred on Friday night in Chicago, Illinois, leaving one person dead and three others injured. Then, early on Sunday, there were two further shootings that resulted in many casualties: one at a bar in Wichita, Kansas, where nine people were hurt, and another at a block party in Baltimore, Maryland, where two people died and 28 were hurt.

On Monday, there was more gunfire in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which resulted in the deaths of five people and injuries to two children. Three people were killed in a shooting that same evening in Fort Worth, Texas, during a neighbourhood fair. And in the early hours of Tuesday, an altercation at a party in Lansing, Michigan, led to a shooting that injured five, as per Al Jazeera.

In his statement, Biden said the “epidemic of gun violence” in the US is “tearing our communities apart”.

The US has some of the highest gun ownership rates in the world, yet there are more mass shootings here than in comparable nations.

The Gun Violence Archive has recorded 346 mass shootings in the US so far in the first half of this year. Mass shootings are defined as instances of gun violence in which at least four people were hurt or killed. In fifteen of those situations, 16 persons were killed in the previous week.

In his remarks on Tuesday, Biden remembered the seven people who died when a gunman opened fire on an Independence Day celebration in Highland Park, Illinois, one year ago, murdering seven people, as per Al Jazeera.

Biden wrote, “In mere moments, this day of patriotic pride became a scene of pain and tragedy.”

Even as the White House has called for bipartisan action in response to the tragedy, conservative lawmakers have mainly opposed curbs to gun access, invoking the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment of the US Constitution.

In Florida, for instance, a law that repeals the prior requirements for training and licencing went into effect on July 1 and permits people to carry a concealed handgun without permission.

Additionally, conservative Supreme Court judges have questioned gun licencing limits in left-leaning states like New York and declared some of them to be illegal, according to Al Jazeera.

Conservative lawmakers contend that people can protect themselves by having access to firearms and that efforts to restrict gun ownership have no impact on overall rates of violence.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) and other pro-gun lobbying organisations continue to have significant political influence in the US.

In a rare move, Congress passed a bipartisan gun safety law in June 2022, restricting the sale of firearms to people convicted of domestic violence and expanding background checks.

While hailing the legislation as “monumental,” Biden recognised that it did not address more contentious topics like bans on assault weapons and background checks for sales of firearms, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)

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Biden urges Congress to pass Bill to curb gun violence

The President also stated that they require safe storage, ending immunity for gun manufacturers…reports Asian Lite News

President Joe Biden again urged Congress to pass legislation banning assault weapons and enacting universal background checks after the Texas shootout, according to a statement released by the White House.

According to the statement, Biden also stated that they require safe storage, ending immunity for gun manufacturers. “I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe,” US President said. This statement came after nine people were killed in a shooting at an outlet mall near Dallas and seven injured persons were undergoing treatment, The New York Times reported citing officials on Saturday night.

Brian E Harvey, the chief of police in Allen, Texas, said at a news conference on Saturday night that the gunman, who hasn’t yet been identified, acted alone. A police officer, who was on another assignment at the mall at the time of the shooting, heard gunfire, rushed towards it, and killed the shooter.

Federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to investigate this attack and I have directed federal agencies to provide all needed support, Biden said in the statement.

Giving details about the Texas shooting, Biden said, “Yesterday, an assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon gunned down innocent people in a shopping mall, and not for the first time. Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts.”

“More than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives, credible estimates show. The leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence,” he added.

“Since I signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law and took two dozen executive actions to stem the tide of gun violence, we have made some progress. States are banning assault weapons, expanding red flag laws and more — but it’s not enough. We need more action, faster to save lives. 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.”

Around 3.30 pm (local time), a shooting was witnessed at the Allen Premium Outlets, an outdoor shopping centre with more than 120 retailers located about 25 miles north of Dallas, according to New York Times.

Social media users posted a video showing the shooter lying on the ground, dressed in all-black, holding a long rifle, and what appeared to be several rounds of ammo and a tactical vest.

Hundreds of consumers were seen leaving the area on video taken from the scene while many of them had their hands raised. The aerial footage showed at least three bodies covered in sheets outside the mall, reported New York Times.

Allen, Texas, Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said nine people were rushed to hospitals.

“Of those that we transported, two have since died. Three are in critical surgery, and four are stable,” Boyd added.

A medical facility in the Dallas area was reported to have treated patients as young as 5 years old.

Flags at half-mast

Biden has issued a proclamation honouring the victims of the shooting in Allen, Texas and ordered all US flags at public buildings to be flown at half-staff to honor the victims of the shooting.

He has ordered that the flag of the US shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds at all military posts and naval stations and on all naval vessels of the federal government in the US until sunset, May 11 to honour the victims of the shooting in Allen. Biden’s decision came after eight people were killed and at least seven others were injured from the shooting at a shopping mall in Allen, CNN reported. Authorities in Allen responded to the shooting at Allen Premium Outlets. The police said that the gunman was killed by an Allen Police Department officer who was at the mall on an unrelated call. According to investigators, the shooter was working alone.

“As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, May 11, 2023,” US President Joe Biden said in the proclamation released by the White House. (ANI)

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Biden mourns Mississippi mass shooting

American communities are being torn apart by gun violence: Joe Biden

Just hours after six people were shot dead in a rural Mississippi town, US President Joe Biden said that American communities are “being torn apart by gun violence”.

“Thoughts and prayers aren’t enough,” Biden said. “Gun violence is an epidemic and Congress must act now.”

He asked for what he called commonsense gun law reforms, including, among other things, requiring background checks on all gun sales and banning assault weapons, reports Xinhua news agency.

However, it is unlikely that Congress would pass those proposals with Republicans controlling the House of Representatives this term and advocating for the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

A shooter — identified as Richard Dale Crum — was taken into custody on Friday afternoon after reportedly opening fire on his former wife and potentially other family members at three different locations in Arkabutla, a small town in Mississippi’s Tate County.

Crum, 52, faces charges of first-degree murder in connection with the rampage, according to the Tate County Sheriff’s Office.

Additional charges, for each of the other victims, will be filed in the coming days. Crum is being held without bond in the Tate County Jail.

“Our hearts are heavy as we learned about the tragic event that happened in Arkabutla,” the Tate County Government wrote in a Facebook post on Friday night.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said on Friday afternoon that he has been briefed on the series of shootings in Tate County.

“We believe he acted alone. His motive is not yet known,” Reeves said in a statement, adding that the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has been asked to assist in the investigation.

The US has lost more than 5,500 lives to gun violence so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

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Biden to curb gun violence

The US reported 20,794 gun violence deaths in 2021, up from 19,490 deaths in 2020 and 15,474 fatalities in pre-pandemic 2019, according to the Gun Violence Archive….reports Asian Lite News

 US President Joe Biden has announced a new set of actions aimed at reducing gun violence across the country.

The Biden administration will crack down on illegal flow of guns, help prosecutors bring cases against those using “ghost guns” — unserialised and untraceable firearms — to commit crimes, and pursue unlawful gun sellers, among other things, Xinhua news agency quoted the White House as saying.

Biden paid a visit to New York City on Thursday afternoon, where he called for more funding for community policing and law enforcement agencies.

“The answer is not to abandon our streets,” said the President during an event at the headquarters of the City of New York Police Department in Lower Manhattan.

“The answer is not to defund the police…. It’s to give you the tools, the training, the funding to be partners, to be protectors.”

Biden was joined on the visit by US Attorney General Merrick Garland, as well as Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

“Gun violence is not just a problem for New York City or New York State,” Hochul tweeted. “It’s a national crisis.”

Gun deaths have also spiked in the US over the last two years.

The US reported 20,794 gun violence deaths in 2021, up from 19,490 deaths in 2020 and 15,474 fatalities in pre-pandemic 2019, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

There have been 1,554 gun violence deaths in the United States so far this year, the data showed.

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Gun violence too expensive in US

More than 1,94,000 were killed by gun violence in America over the past five years, averaging about 39,000 deaths annually…reports Asian Lite News

 Gun violence costs the United States $280 billion a year, according to ABC News.

“From hospital bills and lost wages to lost productivity, advocates estimate gun violence costs America almost $300 billion a year, according to research by government groups and activists who have collected and reviewed available public data,” ABC News said in a report.

Citing data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US TV network also reported that more than 1,94,000 were killed by gun violence in America over the past five years, averaging about 39,000 deaths annually, Xinhua news agency reported.

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Four Sikhs killed in US shooting

President Joe Biden ordered the national flag to be flown at half-mast at all government facilities and US embassies abroad, reports Arul Louis

At least four Sikhs have been killed in a mass shooting at a FedEx company facility in Indianapolis by a 19-year-old former employee, according to the Sikh Coalition.

Officials, who said that a “significant” number of employees at the parcel and courier service company are Sikhs, reported that the gunman killed himself after murdering eight people Thursday night and wounding at least seven, five of whom were hospitalised.

They did not identify the victims as of Friday evening, but the Sikh Coalition said, “We are sad to confirm that at least four of those killed in Thursday night’s attacks are members of the Indianapolis Sikh community.”

It added, “We are in touch with sangat leaders, government and law enforcement officials” and “we expect that the authorities will conduct a full investigation — including the possibility of a bias factor.”

WXIN-TV station quoted Parminder Singh, the uncle of one of the victims, as saying that his niece who worked at the facility near the airport phoned him shortly after the shooting and told him that she was shot while in her car and was being taken to the hospital.

Indiana Police Chief Randal Taylor said that a “significant” number of the FedEx workers at the facility are Sikhs.

Also Read – Biden to curb US gun violence epidemic

President Joe Biden ordered the national flag to be flown at half-mast at all government facilities and US embassies abroad.

Police Deputy Chief Craig McCartt told reporters that shooter has been identified as Brian Hole, who had worked in the FedEx facility but left last year.

He said that Hole began shooting people in the parking lot of the major parcel and courier company facility killing four people, then entered the building and killed four others before apparently committing suicide before police got there.

“There was no confrontation, no disturbance, he just randomly started shooting,” he said.

McCartt said that Hole had previously come to the attention of police and in March last year a gun was seized from him.

The official in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Indianapolis office, Paul Keenan, said that he had been questioned by the agency after his mother had warned that he might try to commit suicide by provoking police to shoot him.

Hole’s step-sister told WXIN TV that he was “isolated” and “never got the help he needed.”

She told the station that there was a history of mental illness in the family and that their father had committed suicide in 2004.

McCartt said that he could not say what the motive for Hole’s rampage was.

Sikhs have for long been victims of bias attacks in US, often being mistaken for Muslims because of their turbans.

According to the FBI’s 2019 hate crime statistics — the latest available — there were 49 anti-Sikh attacks with 60 victims.

In 2012 a gunman attacked a gurdwara in Oak Creek in Wisconsin State killing seven Sikhs and wounding four.

The perpetrator, Wade Michael Page, an ex-serviceman described as a White supremacist, killed himself after being injured by police.

The Indianapolis police shooting is the latest in a series of mass shootings plaguing the US.

“Gun violence is an epidemic in America,” Biden said in a statement.

Also Read – US House passes two key gun bills

Just last month a White man killed eight people, six of them Asian women, at three massage parlours in Atlanta.

That was followed by the killing of ten people including a police officer by a Syrian immigrant in Boulder, Colorado State.

“What a cruel wait and fate that has become too normal and happens every day somewhere in our nation,” Biden said and urged Congress to “enact commonsense gun violence prevention legislation, like universal background checks and a ban of weapons of war and high-capacity magazines.”

There are no national laws governing gun ownership and regulations vary by states, with some allowing even high caliber automatic weapons with no checks on owners.

Efforts to regulate gun ownership has been stymied mainly by the Republican Party backed by the powerful National Rifle Association, an organisation of gun owners.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, 19,380 people were shot dead last year in the US, an increase of more than 25 per cent over the previous year’s deaths.

Japan’s Prime Minister, who is visiting the US said at the White House before a meeting with Biden, “I would like to express my condolences to the victims, and my sympathies to the families. Innocent citizens must not be exposed to any such violence.”