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Following a shooting in a Raleigh neighborhood that left five people dead, including an off-duty police officer, President Joe Biden is calling for an end to gun violence.
Five people were killed on Thursday (October 13) in central Raleigh after a shooter opened fire on a greenway northeast of downtown. Among the victims were a 16-year-old boy and an off-duty officer. A 15-year-old boy was identified as the suspected shooter and is reported to be in critical condition, per WTVD.
The White House issued a lengthy statement from the president on Friday (October 14), saying both he and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden are "grieving" with the families who lost a loved one in the deadly shooting rampage and are mourning with the people of Raleigh. After sharing his appreciation for first responders and law enforcement who assisted in the incident, Biden called for more commonsense gun laws in the country.
"Enough. We've grieved and prayed with too many families who have had to bear the terrible burden of these mass shootings," he said. "Too many families have had spouses, parents, and children taken from them forever. This year, and even in just the five months since Buffalo and Uvalde, there are too many mass shootings across America, including ones that don't even make the national news."
He continued, "For the lives we've lost and the lives we can save, I took historic action to stop gun violence in our nation, including signing the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years. But we must do more. We must pass an assault weapons ban. The American people support this commonsense action to get weapons of war off our streets."
Biden added that legislation has already been passed in the House and encouraged Senators to do the same so he could sign off on it once it hits his desk.
The president concluded his statement with a plea for strength for the people of Raleigh and the community that is now "[mourning] the loss of friends and neighbors."
"May God bless our fellow Americans we lost and their families and may He grant the wounded the strength to recover in Raleigh, North Carolina."