Biden Vows to Continue Fighting ‘Epidemic of Gun Violence’ After ‘Senseless’ Fourth of July Parade Shooting
NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)
President Joe Biden released a statement following the Independence Day shooting in Highland Park, a residential area only 25 miles north of Chicago, at a Fourth of July parade. The president vowed to continue fighting the “epidemic of gun violence” and touted recent bipartisan gun legislation that was passed by lawmakers.
“Jill [Biden] and I are shocked by this senseless gun violence that has yet again brought grief to an American community on this Independence Day,” the statement reads.
Shortly before the statement was released, police confirmed the shooter who targeted the parade used a “high-powered rifle.” The shooter is at large, and police say they do not know if he is in the city or outside of it, or whether he plans to target other gatherings in nearby areas, though a weapon has reportedly been recovered.
Biden promised federal resources to help in the manhunt of the suspect. The shooting, which police described as “random,” claimed the lives on six individuals. Over two dozen others were reportedly injured and taken to nearby hospitals.
Biden touted the previous bipartisan gun legislation, which was passed after a recent mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, as well as a supermarket shooting in Buffalo, New York. The shootings have renewed calls for new control to be pushed through Congress. Biden says the legislation will “save lives,” but more work is needed.
“I recently signed the first major bipartisan gun reform legislation in almost thirty years into law, which includes action that will save lives,” the president wrote. “But there is much more work to do, and I’m not going to give up fighting the epidemic of gun violence.
Read the statement in full below:
The president has spoken to the Illinois governor and mayor of Highland Park about today’s deadly parade shooting. pic.twitter.com/0hMY6nz5bE
— Kelly O’Donnell (@KellyO) July 4, 2022
