WASHINGTON / UVALDE, Texas, May 30 (Reuters) – A day after promising residents of Uvalde, Texas, to take action to address armed violence, U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday tried to appeal to “rational” Republicans to curb high-caliber weapons and take other federal action to prevent further mass shootings.
“Things have gone so badly that everyone is becoming more rational about it,” Biden said as he returned from his weekend trip to commemorate the 19 children and two teachers killed last week in the worst school mass shooting. of the country in a decade.
“The idea of these high-caliber weapons: there is simply no rational basis in terms of self-protection, hunting,” Biden told reporters at the White House.
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The United States has seen hundreds killed in dozens of mass shootings in recent years, and a similar debate in Washington over how to reduce them has not led to congressional action, although polls show that most northerners -Americans support at least moderate gun ownership regulations.
The two parties remain deeply divided, with Biden Democrats open to new arms restrictions while Republicans zealously hold an expansive view of gun rights.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has repeatedly said gun regulations are not the answer, but he has pointed to mental health issues.
Questions remain for almost a week after an 18-year-old man shot his grandmother before going to Robb Elementary School in South Texas armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, killing 21 people and injuring at least 17 others. .
Local police waited nearly an hour, even as children continued to call 911 for help before a U.S. Border Patrol tactical team entered and killed the shooter.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Sunday that it would review law enforcement’s response to the mayor’s request. Some Texas Democrats also want a separate FBI investigation.
“We deserve better police … We want answers,” said Jessica Morales, 30, who was born and raised in Uvalde, but now lives in Houston, across from her parents’ home near her home. school.
Police removed barricades from the school on Monday, allowing public access during Memorial Day federal holiday to a makeshift monument with dozens of teddy bears and hundreds of bouquets of flowers fading in the heat. of Texas.
The villains gathered in front of life-size photos of the murdered children and teachers. Some wept silently while others lit candles or took pictures.
This week the first of 21 funerals is scheduled in Uvalde.
Residents of the devastated city urged Biden to “do something” about the armed violence as he visited on Sunday to meet with families and top officials.
“We will,” Biden said. Read more
Little has changed since 1999, when two gunmen killed 13 people at Columbine High School in Colorado. Mass shooting has since rocked Virginia Tech University, Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, among others.
Last year, the United States faced 61 incidents of “active shooters” in schools and elsewhere, according to FBI data. Earlier this month, 10 people died at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York.
Biden has backed multiple actions, including a renewed weapons ban and universal background checks. But the president, whose fellow Democrats only closely control Congress, has cited the limits of executive action and urged lawmakers to act.
Democrats need the support of 10 Republican senators to pass any legislation.
Talks led by Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas are expected to continue this week, and Biden said Monday that Cornyn and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell were “rational” conservatives.
But Congress is in recess until June 6, increasing the risk of the momentum fading. However, lawmakers could unite around some ideas such as so-called red-flag laws or raise the minimum age for buying weapons from 18 to 21.
While school shootings are shocking, armed violence in the United States occurs regularly. Over the weekend, six people were shot and wounded in Chattanooga, Tennessee, while at least one person was killed and several were injured in the middle of a shooting at an open-air festival in Oklahoma City, local media reported.
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Report by Steve Holland in Washington, Brad Brooks in Uvalde, Texas; Additional reporting by Maria Caspani in New York and Rich McKay in Atlanta; Written by Susan Heavey; Editing by Scott Malone, Donna Bryson and Andrea Ricci
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