Biden mourns deaths after high school shooting in Georgia, urges ending gun violence

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he is mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short due to "senseless gun violence," after four people were killed in a shooting at a Georgia high school, calling for action to address gun violence.

"Jill and I are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short due to more senseless gun violence and thinking of all of the survivors whose lives are forever changed," Biden said in a statement.

"What should have been a joyous back-to-school season in Winder, Georgia, has now turned into another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart," he said.

At least four people were killed and nine wounded in a campus shooting at the Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, local authorities said earlier Wednesday. One suspect was taken into custody following the gunfire.

Noting that "ending this gun violence epidemic is personal" to him, Biden said in the statement that after decades of "inaction," Republicans in Congress must finally say "enough is enough" and work with Democrats to pass common-sense gun safety legislation.

The president called on lawmakers to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require safe storage of firearms, enact universal background checks, and end immunity for gun manufacturers.

Over 380 mass shootings have occurred in the United States in 2024 so far, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more victims are shot or killed.