On Tuesday, President Joe Biden came out of hiding to address Monday night’s mass shooting on the campus of Michigan State University, which left three students dead and five others “fighting for their lives.”
Instead of taking the time to mourn the lives lost and offer sympathy to the families, Biden immediately highjacked the speech to call for more gun control.
“It’s a family’s worst nightmare. It’s happening far too often in this country. Far too often,” he told the National Association of Counties. “While we gather more information, there’s one thing we do know to be true: We have to do something to stop gun violence ripping apart our communities.”
Biden called on Congress to enact more legislation to combat gun violence, and then recalled that Tuesday was the five-year anniversary of the Parkland, Florida shooting that killed 17 students and staff.
“I met every one of those families, spent time with them all. And a lot of you here have had to confront violence in your communities every single day,” the president said. “We took a big step toward passing the most significant bipartisan gun legislation in 30 years …, but there’s a lot more work to do, and I’m committing to getting it done with all of you.”
While struggling to read the teleprompter, Biden then argued, “There is no rationale for assault weapons and magazines that hold 50-70 bullets.”
WATCH:
BIDEN: "There is no rationale for assault weapons and magazines that hold 50-70 bullets." pic.twitter.com/06oggJuQb7
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) February 14, 2023
Detroit News reports:
Police are still working to identify a motive after a suspected gunman late Monday terrorized the campus in East Lansing. The gunman was later found dead off campus from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and identified as 43-year-old Anthony McRae, who was not affiliated with MSU as a student or employee, police said.
MSU police identified two of the three victims as Brian Fraser, a sophomore from Grosse Pointe, and Alexandria Verner, a junior from Clawson. The third victim, Arielle Anderson, was a sophomore from Harper Woods, according to her family. The five wounded remain in critical condition at Sparrow Hospital.
Earlier Tuesday, Biden issued a written statement in response to the MSU shooting.
“Our hearts are with these young victims and their families, the broader East Lansing and Lansing communities, and all Americans across the country grieving as the result of gun violence,” Biden wrote.
He also told Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitener to deploy “all necessary federal law enforcement” and then vowed that the White House will “continue to provide the resources and support needed in the weeks ahead.”
“Too many American communities have been devastated by gun violence. I have taken action to combat this epidemic in America, including a historic number of executive actions and the first significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years, but we must do more,” Biden said.
“The fact that this shooting took place the night before this country marks five years since the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, should cause every American to exclaim ‘enough’ and demand that Congress take action,” he added. “Action is what we owe to those grieving today in Michigan and across America.”
