Biden says Kansas City Chiefs rally shooting should ‘shock us’ into action on gun violence

WASHINGTON

President Joe Biden on Wednesday said the country should be shocked by the shooting in Kansas City that killed at least one and injured 22 after the Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade.

He also reiterated his long-standing call for more action to address gun violence.

“Today’s events should move us, shock us, shame us into acting,” Biden said. “What are we waiting for? What else do we need to see? How many more families need to be torn apart?”

“It is time to act. That’s where I stand.”

While the motivation of the suspects is still unclear, Biden urged Congress to ban assault weapons, limit high-capacity magazines and strengthen background checks — three policies his administration has pushed for but been unable to convince Congress to pass.

In a statement issued by the White House, Biden highlighted several mass shootings that have occurred across the country over the past few years. But those shootings have resulted in little tangible legislation.

After a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, Congress passed a bill that aimed to bolster supports for mental health and close loopholes when it came to purchasing guns.

But those changes have done little to stem gun violence. Biden urged Congress to take bolder steps.

“The epidemic of gun violence is ripping apart families and communities every day. Some make the news,” Biden said. “Much of it doesn’t. But all of it is unacceptable. We have to decide who we are as a country. For me, we’re a country where people should have the right to go to school, to go to church, to walk the street — and to attend a Super Bowl celebration — without fear of losing your life to gun violence.”

It is unlikely that Biden’s comments will spur Congress into action. Immediately after the shooting, Republican lawmakers were unwilling to attribute the problem to guns. Rep. Mark Alford, a Missouri Republican, said guns weren’t the issue, but it was a problem in people’s hearts.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat, emerged from the House chamber in tears after a moment of silence for the victims of the shooting.

Cleaver has walked out on moments of silence and prayers for victims of gun violence for more than a year, saying it is time for Congress to stop offering shallow prayers and to take action.

But he didn’t expect that action to come.

“It was supposed to be one of the happiest days in decades,” Cleaver said. “And then people are running for their lives. I know that if the murder of children didn’t inspire Congress to act, then the murder of football fans won’t get a piece of consideration. So it goes on and on and on. I don’t know what to do.”

This story was originally published February 14, 2024, 9:38 PM.