Parade Shooting Updates – The latest in a string of high-profile events involving gun violence across the United States, a tragic mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, shocked President Joe Biden on Monday. The president and first lady Jill Biden thanked the emergency personnel and law enforcement that responded to the scene, and they said that federal law enforcement would assist in the hunt for the shooter.
“The senseless gun violence that has once again devastated an American community on this Independence Day shocked Jill and I. As always, we appreciate the assistance of the local law enforcement and responders,” he stated.
“I have spoken with Mayor Rotering and Governor Pritzker, and I have promised their communities the full support of the federal government.”
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“Community members should heed instructions from local authorities, and I will keep a careful eye on happenings as we learn more about those who lost their lives and pray for others who are in the hospital with severe injuries,” he added.
At least six people were killed and 24 others suffered critical injuries during the parade in Highland Park, which is close to Chicago, when Biden made his comments. The shooting’s purpose has not been disclosed by the authorities.
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, one of the most important pieces of gun control legislation Congress has passed since the 1990s, was signed into law in June, as the president also noted.
“The first major piece of bipartisan gun legislation in almost thirty years, which I recently signed into law, includes measures that will save lives. However, there is still a lot of work to be done, and I will continue fighting the epidemic of gun violence,” according to Biden’s statement.
The measure, which includes millions of dollars for mental health services, school security, as well as crisis intervention programs, was drafted by a bipartisan group of senators under the leadership of Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas.
Additionally, it provides $750 million in funding for states to place red flag laws into effect while enhancing background checks for young gun buyers. Red flag laws generally allow law enforcement to temporarily seize guns from people who are a threat to themselves or others.
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The law developed as a reaction to the previous mass shootings at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York.
Republicans resisted the reinstatement of an assault weapons prohibition, claiming that it would violate the Second Amendment, despite the fact that Biden and many other prominent Democrats supported the ban, which was in place from 1994 to 2004.
