Biden calls to tighten gun control measures after Colorado shooting

(Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden issue called on Tuesday to ban assault weapons and urged to tighten the gun control measures as he stepped into the role of grief counsellor for a traumatized nation after a mass shooting left 10 people dead in Boulder, Colo,

The mass shooting in Boulder’s King Soopers grocery store, followed a gunman’s killing the previous week of eight people at spas in Atlanta, drawing the government’s attention to U.S. gun violence once again.

A sign honouring the 10 victims of a mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado. Photo credit: Reuters

Flags at the White House were at half staff until sunset on Monday to commemorate the Atlanta shooting victims.

They flew at full staff for a few hours on Tuesday morning, before being lowered again to mark the Boulder victims.

“I don’t need to wait another minute, let alone another hour, to take common-sense steps that will save lives in the future… This is not and should not be a partisan issue,” Biden said at the White House. “It’s an American issue that will save lives, American lives. And we have to act.”

Now his two-month-old administration faces increased pressure to fulfill promises on gun regulation since Biden was previously focused on the coronavirus stimulus bill, fighting a wave of migrants along the U.S. border with Mexico.

Any previous effort to move the US toward stricter gun control has historically been tough, with his fellow Democrats in favour and Republicans largely opposed.

Biden, whose personal life has been previously marked with tragic losses of his first wife and two kids, offered his condolences to the families of victims, saying he and his wife, Jill Biden, were devastated by the deaths.

Meanwhile, the memorial at the site of King Soopers grocery store continues to grow, as mourners lay flowers, candles, balloons, and notes at the fence.

People embrace each other at the site of a mass shooting. Photo credit: Photo by Reuters

People leave flowers at the site of a mass shooting in Boulder. Photo credit: Photo by Reuters