President Joe Biden on Friday renewed his call for a ban on assault weapons following the mass shooting in Raleigh, N.C., that left five dead and two wounded.
"Jill and I are grieving with the families in Raleigh, North Carolina, whose loved ones were killed and wounded in yet another mass shooting in America," Biden said in a statement. "We are thinking of yet another community shaken and shattered as they mourn the loss of friends and neighbors, including an off-duty police officer."
The dead include a city police officer, Gabriel Torres, 29, who was on his way to work when he was shot. The other victims include a 52-year-old woman, a 49-year-old woman, a 35-year-old woman, and a 16-year-old boy.
A Raleigh police officer was also injured.
Police say a 15-year-old boy is in custody. Authorities have not disclosed his identity but say he is in the hospital in critical condition.
"We don't have answers as to why this tragedy occurred," Chief Estella Patterson of the Raleigh Police Department told reporters during a briefing on Friday morning.
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said she expected the suspect to be charged as an adult despite his age.
"If the subject does survive, we will be proceeding with the intent of sending it to superior court," she said. "In consideration of the mass number of lives lost, it's appropriate that this case be handled in superior court and this individual prosecuted as an adult."
Biden said his administration is working closely with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper to help with the investigation.
"Enough. We've grieved and prayed with too many families who have had to bear the terrible burden of these mass shootings," Biden said. "Too many families have had spouses, parents, and children taken from them forever.
"For the lives we've lost and the lives we can save, I took historic action to stop gun violence in our nation, including signing the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years," he added. "But we must do more. We must pass an assault weapons ban. The American people support this commonsense action to get weapons of war off our streets. House Democrats have already passed it. The Senate should do the same. Send it to my desk and I'll sign it."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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