President Joe Biden struck a somber and serious tone, calling for new gun restrictions, in an address to the nation after 18 children were killed in a shooting at a Texas elementary school.
“When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby? When in God’s name do we do what we all know needs to be done?” Biden asked.
Biden, whose lost both a son and a daughter, was joined by first lady Dr. Jill Biden at the White House on Tuesday night.
“Why are are willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen? Where in God’s name is our backbone?” Biden said, adding later, “It’s time to act.”
At least 18 children and three adults were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday morning. Uvalde is about 85 miles west of San Antonio. The 18-year-old gunman is dead. It’s unclear if the number includes the shooter.
Biden called on the nation to pray for the parents and siblings of those dead. “To lose a child is like having a piece of your soul ripped away,” he said.
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