White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called for Congress to pass stronger gun legislation that bans assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, despite no evidence to date that such rifles and magazines were used during a shooting in Kansas City Wednesday that left one person dead, and 22 others injured.
Jean-Pierre kicked off the press briefing on Thursday with a “sad note,” addressing the shooting that took place during the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory rally.
She said multiple gunmen opened fire during the parade, killing two people and wounding over 20, though only one person has been confirmed dead by officials.
Biden has been updated by his team and the White House administration has been in touch with state and local leaders, the press secretary added.
KANSAS CITY SHOOTING AT CHIEFS SUPER BOWL PARADE LEAVES AT LEAST 1 DEAD, 22 WOUNDED
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre gives remarks at the press briefing on January 24. (Andrew Thomas/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“We’ve now had more mass shootings in 2024…than there have been days in the year – gotta think about that one,” Jean-Pierre said before highlighting the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Biden signed in 2022 to help keep guns out of dangerous hands.
The law was an attempt to prevent mass shootings by incentivizing states to pass red flag laws and expand background checks for 18- to 21-year-olds.
The bill also provided funding for youth mental health programs and was intended to crack down on gun trafficking and invest in violence prevention.
KANSAS CITY RADIO DJ, MOM OF 2 KILLED IN SHOOTING AFTER CHIEFS’ SUPER BOWL CELEBRATION
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – FEBRUARY 14: A general view of Kansas City Chiefs fans gathered at Union Station during the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVIII victory parade on February 14, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
“As we all know, it is not enough. Congress must act. Congress needs to act. And it is shameful that we have not seen more action on this,” Jean-Pierre said. “We need to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require safe storage of guns, pass a national red flag law, enact universal background checks, and invest in proven solutions that reduce violence. We know these actions can save lives and our communities literally can’t afford to wait.”
President Biden and Vice President Harris also called on Congress after the shooting in Kansas City to pass stronger gun control measures.
Biden issued a statement specifically recommending lawmakers ban assault weapons among other gun control laws, and asked Americans across the country to join him in his stance.
President Biden and Vice President Harris. (Getty Images)
The president said the shooting at the Chiefs’ victory celebration “cuts deep in the American soul,” and claimed that “we know what we have to do, we just need the courage to do it.”
Biden addressed the gun violence epidemic – naming a few shootings that took place elsewhere in the country on Wednesday – and said Americans have the right to go to school, church, walk on the street and attend Super Bowl celebrations without the fear of being shot and killed.
Before departing for Munich, Germany, Harris told reporters on the tarmac that Wednesday was supposed to be a celebratory day in Kansas City, but it became “another day where America has experienced senseless gun violence.”
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“The reality of it is a lot of this can be prevented if members of legislatures, including the United States Congress, just had the courage to act on reasonable gun safety laws,” Harris said. “And I think it’s incredibly important for everyone to understand that it doesn’t have to be this way. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
The Kansas City shooting is under investigation, and while three people have been apprehended, no charges have been filed. Police have also not disclosed what type of guns were used in the shooting, nor whether the guns contained high-capacity magazines.
Elizabeth Pritchett of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
