Biden Urges Legislation to Ban Assault Weapons on 10th Anniversary of Worst Mass Shooting

U.S. President Joe Biden attended the 10th anniversary memorial event for the Sandy Hook shooting held at Saint Mark's Church on the 7th (local time) and greeted survivor student Jackie Hegarty. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly urged Congress to pass legislation banning assault weapons on the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, recorded as the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

According to the White House on the 14th (local time), President Biden stated in a statement that day, "We have a moral obligation to create and enforce laws that prevent this from ever happening again."

He emphasized, "Ten years ago today, we witnessed the unimaginable at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut," adding, "We should feel a societal guilt for how long it has taken to address this issue (banning assault weapons)."

He continued, "A few months ago, I signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which controls so-called ghost guns without serial numbers that are harder to trace, cracks down on gun trafficking, and increases resources for violence prevention," but said, "We need to do more."

He added, "I am determined to ban assault weapons and large-capacity magazines like those used in Sandy Hook and many other mass shootings across America."

The Sandy Hook tragedy occurred on December 14, 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where a gunman killed 20 first-grade children and six staff members, including the principal. It is recorded as one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history, even in a country with frequent gun incidents, and sparked global debates on gun control.

President Biden, who has advocated for stronger gun regulations, signed the Gun Safety Act passed by Congress for the first time in 30 years on June 30. The law includes provisions such as enhanced background checks for citizens aged 18 to 21 seeking to purchase firearms, but has been criticized for its limitations as it did not include bans on assault rifles and large-capacity magazine sales.

Earlier, on the 7th, President Biden attended the 10th anniversary memorial event for the Sandy Hook shooting held at St. Mark's Church, where he reiterated calls for banning assault rifles and restricting the sale of large-capacity magazines, stating, "This is simply common sense," expressing his determination to legislate these measures.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.