Joe Biden calls for ban on assault weapons one day after Georgia school massacre

Washington:

One day after a shooting in the US state of Georgia that left four people dead, US President Joe Biden has called for a complete ban on assault weapons.

At an event on Thursday, President Biden said: “I want to say a few words about yesterday's school massacre. As a nation, we can no longer tolerate the carnage of gun violence. I am a gun owner. I am a firm believer in the amendment. We need more than just thoughts and prayers,” CNN quoted the president as saying.

While calling on the US Congress to take decisive action on gun control in the US, he also addressed Republican lawmakers and called on some of their leaders to “finally say enough is enough,” adding: “We have to do something together. Let's ban assault rifles.”

Mr Biden continued: “I realize that I live in a rural area, in the rural parts of my state where there are guns – we all have them and it's not popular to talk about it, but the truth is there is a difference between rational and irrational.”

He acknowledged that the decision “will not bring these children back.” However, it would “help save lives if we do the things we're talking about.” He added: “We can do it if we do it together… and I really believe we can.”

JOE BIDEN'S APPEAL

Joe Biden is advocating for a complete ban on assault rifles throughout the United States. He has long called for the ban, but has been blocked by Republican leaders in Congress.

According to a CNN report, Mr Biden also called for more thorough background checks, an end to immunity for gun manufacturers and accountability for parents who allow their children to own guns.

Amok spree at a school in Georgia

At least four people, including two students, were killed and nine others injured when another student at the same high school opened fire in the US state of Georgia on Wednesday.

The suspected shooter was caught and is currently in custody. He was identified as 14-year-old Colt Cray, a student at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, about an hour's drive from the state capital of Atlanta.

Two of the people killed were students and two teachers. Law enforcement is still investigating the shooting and the motive behind it.

The gun violence problem in the USA

The Georgia school shooting is the latest of dozens in the United States in recent years, including fatal shootings in Connecticut, Parkland, Florida, Newtown and Uvalde, Texas.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 385 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2024. Like CNN, the archive considers mass shootings to be those in which four or more victims are shot. That equates to an average of more than 1.5 mass shootings per day.