Biden: Gun violence becomes ‘epidemic’ in America
Following yet another mass shooting in the United States, President Joe Biden says gun violence has become an "epidemic" in the country.
“Last night and into the morning in Indianapolis, yet again families had to wait to hear word about the fate of their loved ones. What a cruel wait and fate that has become too normal and happens every day somewhere in our nation,” Biden said in a statement issued on Friday afternoon.
Biden called for action on gun violence prevention in the wake of the mass shooting that killed eight people and injured several more at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“Too many Americans are dying every single day from gun violence. It stains our character and pierces the very soul of our nation,” the president said.
“We can, and must, do more to act and to save lives,” he added.
The latest incident is the fourth mass shooting in Indianapolis this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive data. The other shootings were on March 15 on North Harding Street, February 13 on North Sherman Drive, and January 24 on Adams Street.
The incident has again brought into focus the issue of gun control in the US, which continues to be one of the most divisive issues in American politics.
With about 121 firearms in circulation for every 100 residents, the US is by far the most heavily armed society in the world, according to the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, a research group.
The Second Amendment of the US Constitution enshrines the "right to bear arms," which the country’s apex court says allows individuals to keep handguns at home for self-defense.
The free access to guns and little control over them has paved the way for a spree of mass shootings in the US in recent years, promoting global concerns.
In past month, the US has been hit with mass shootings that occurred in Atlanta, Boulder, Colo., and Rock Hill, S.C.
According an African American journalist in Detroit, gun violence is perpetuated by the US government’s permissive gun laws, as well as America’s historically violent culture and widespread mental health disorders.
“I believe that these mass shootings inside the United States are a manifestation of the failed policy of the US government through successive administrations, which have failed to develop adequate gun control laws,” said Abayomi Azikiwe, editor at the Pan-African News Wire.
“The United States historically is a violent country; it was born in violence” against Native and African Americans, Azikiwe said in an interview with Press TV.
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