Biden: “When in God’s identify are we going to face as much as the gun foyer?”

President Biden opened his remarks from the White Home Tuesday evening with a deep sigh, after a shooter killed not less than 19 youngsters and two adults at an elementary college in Texas. It was a sigh indicative of a contemporary horror and but, an all-too acquainted one. 

“I had hoped once I turned president I might not have to do that — once more,” the president mentioned, with longtime trainer first woman Jill Biden at his aspect. “One other bloodbath. Uvalde, Texas. An elementary college. Stunning, harmless second, third and fourth graders. And what number of scores of little youngsters who witnessed what occurred — see their buddies die, as in the event that they’re in a battlefield, for God’s sake. They’ll dwell with it the remainder of their lives.” 

Tuesday’s mass capturing befell at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde, Texas, on the scholars’ final week of college earlier than summer time break. Mr. Biden was on his approach again from Asia when it occurred, and after he was briefed, he ordered the flags on the White Home and all different federal buildings to be flown at half-staff. 

“What struck me on that 17-hour flight what struck me was these sorts of mass shootings hardly ever occur anyplace else on the planet. Why?” the president questioned. “They’ve psychological well being issues. They’ve home disputes in different international locations. They’ve people who find themselves misplaced, however these sorts of mass shootings by no means occur with the form of frequency they occur in America. Why? Why are we keen to dwell with this carnage?”

A somber however annoyed president mentioned he’s “sick and drained” of mass shootings like this, and “we now have to behave.” 

“As a nation, we now have to ask, when in God’s identify are we going to face as much as the gun foyer?” Mr. Biden mentioned. “When in God’s identify will we do what everyone knows in our intestine must be achieved?” 

He mentioned it’s been 3,448 days since he stood up at Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty, the place a gunman massacred 26 folks, together with 20 first graders, in 2012. Since then, he mentioned there have been over 900 incidents of gunfire reported on college grounds. 

Two legislation enforcement sources confirmed to CBS Information that the 18-year-old shooter had a handgun, AR-15 rifle and high-capacity magazines. The gunman’s motivation is unclear at the moment. 

On Tuesday evening, the president urged Congress to cross “commonsense” gun legal guidelines. 

“We are able to’t and received’t stop each tragedy. However we all know they work, and have a optimistic influence,” the president mentioned of gun restriction measures. “… The concept an 18-year-old child can stroll right into a gun retailer and purchase two assault weapons is simply mistaken.” 

Vice President Kamala Harris additionally addressed the mass capturing originally of a speech Tuesday evening, saying, “Our hearts hold getting damaged” and “sufficient is sufficient.”