President Biden and Vice President Harris called on Congress to pass stronger gun control measures in separate comments Wednesday night hours after a deadly shooting at a Super Bowl victory parade in Kansas City, Missouri.
Biden issued a statement specifically recommending that lawmakers ban assault weapons among other gun control laws, and asked that Americans across the country join him in his stance.
"It is time to act. That’s where I stand. And I ask the country to stand with me. To make your voice heard in Congress so we finally act to ban assault weapons, to limit high-capacity magazines, strengthen background checks, keep guns out of the hands of those who have no business owning them or handling them," Biden said.
The president said the shooting at the victory parade "cuts deep in the American soul," and claimed that "we know what we have to do, we just need the courage to do it."
KANSAS CITY SHOOTING AT CHIEFS SUPER BOWL PARADE LEAVES AT LEAST 1 DEAD, 22 WOUNDED
Biden addressed the gun violence epidemic – naming a few shootings that took place elsewhere in the country on Wednesday – and said Americans have the right to go to school, church, walk on the street and attend Super Bowl celebrations without the fear of being shot and killed.
"The epidemic of gun violence is ripping apart families and communities every day. Some make the news. Much of it doesn’t. But all of it is unacceptable. We have to decide who we are as a country," he said.
He offered prayers for the victims and asked that Americans "find the resolve to end this senseless epidemic."
KANSAS CITY RADIO DJ, MOM OF 2 KILLED IN SHOOTING AFTER CHIEFS' SUPER BOWL CELEBRATION
Before departing for Munich, Germany, Harris told reporters on the tarmac that Wednesday was supposed to be a celebratory day in Kansas City, but it became "another day where American has experienced senseless gun violence."
"The reality of it is a lot of this can be prevented if members of legislatures, including the United States Congress, just had the courage to act on reasonable gun safety laws," Harris said. "And I think it's incredibly important for everyone to understand that it doesn't have to be this way. It doesn't have to be this way."
The vice president also offered her prayers for the families of the victims and the community before boarding Air Force 2.
Gunshots rang out during the Chiefs' victory parade at about 2 p.m. local time near the Union Station parking garage in Kansas City, killing one woman and injuring 22 others. The woman has been identified as Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a mother of two and local radio DJ.
Eleven children were also wounded during the shooting, but were expected to recover as of Wednesday night. Nine of them were shot, while two sustained other injuries.
Three people were taken into custody and at least one weapon was recovered by police, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said Wednesday evening.
