In the wake of a ninth mass shooting, this one at a Texas mall on Saturday that left nine people dead, including the shooter, Vice President Joe Biden of the United States called on Congress to adopt gun control legislation on Sunday.
The Democratic president reaffirmed his calls for Congress to adopt universal background checks, repeal the impunity granted to gun manufacturers, and outlaw assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Even though polls show that the majority of Americans support background checks, there is little possibility that the closely split House and Senate would pass such legislation.
Biden, who has previously made similar appeals, claimed the attacker at the Allen Premium Outlets mall in Allen, a suburb of Dallas, was dressed in tactical gear and was carrying an assault rifle in the form of the AR-15.
Before being shot and killed by a police officer on Saturday, the gunman had already killed eight people—including children—and injured at least seven more.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, mass shootings have become routine in the United States. At least 199 have occurred so far in 2023, which is the most at this stage of the year since at least 2016. A mass shooting, according to the nonprofit organization, is one in which four or more persons are hurt or killed, excluding the gunman.
Just over a week after another fatal shooting in the Texas town of Cleveland, the tragedy in Allen revived the contentious discussion about gun control in the country.
The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to keep and bear arms, and many Republicans, who receive millions of dollars in support from gun rights organizations and manufacturers, are passionate about this topic.
In a Sunday morning interview with Fox News, Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott referred to the shooting as “devastating” but asserted that tackling mental health is the best approach to effectively combat gun violence.
“The amount of anger and violence that is occurring in America has dramatically increased,” he stated. “We are attempting to address that anger and violence by addressing the underlying mental health issues that led to it, which is his root cause.”
Democrats including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer emphasized the need for tougher gun safety laws to be passed in order to reduce gun violence.
After the violence broke out, hundreds of people were seen peacefully leaving the mall, which is located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of Dallas, as dozens of police officers stood watch. Many of them had their hands raised.
Local ABC station WFAA TV quoted an unnamed eyewitness as saying that the shooter was “walking down the sidewalk just… shooting his gun outside.”
