Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden Sunday night called for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines Sunday after two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were shot and critically wounded in an ambush attack Saturday.
“Weapons of war have no place in our communities,” the former vice president said on Twitter. “We need to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.”
Biden's gun control call came after he earlier condemned the shootings, calling the attack "unconscionable" and demanding that the suspect be brought to justice.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, both called for a fast trial and "death penalty for the killer" if the deputies die.
Saturday night, the president used the shootings to accuse Biden of being weak on crime, and to highlight his own campaign's stance on law and order, reports Fox News.
“He’s not strong for law and order and everybody knows that,” Trump said of Biden during a “Latinos for Trump” roundtable campaign event in Las Vegas. “When you see a scene like happened just last night in California with the two police people – a woman, a man – shot at stone cold short range.”
The deputies, a 31-year-old woman and a 24-year old man, underwent surgery Saturday evening and remain in critical condition, while a manhunt continues for their shooter.
LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a late-night news conference that both deputies graduated from the police academy 14 months ago.
They were shot while sitting in their patrol car at a Metro rail station and were able to radio for help, according to the sheriff.
Villanueva's department has come under fire during recent protests over racial unrest, and he said he's frustrated over anti-police sentiment and urged people to pray for the deputies.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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