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A day after eight people were killed at a Texas shopping mall in the most recent mass shooting to rock the country, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed his plea Sunday for a national assault-weapons ban and other gun safety measures.
Responders, distraught bystanders, and police officers described scenes of terror and panic north of Dallas, where video footage that has been circulating online showed the gunman getting out of a sedan in an outlet mall parking lot on Saturday and opening fire with a semi-automatic weapon on people strolling nearby.
At the huge facility in Allen, the shooter was “neutralised” by an officer who had been dispatched to a nearby, unrelated call.
In addition to the shooter, seven other people were also declared deceased at the scene. In addition, two more people passed away in the hospital, while “three are in critical surgery, and four are stable,” according to Allen fire chief Jonathan Boyd on Saturday.
The shooter was identified as Mauricio Garcia, 33, by numerous US news organisations on Sunday, all of which were citing unnamed law enforcement sources.
Joe Biden made the following statement early on Sunday: “Eight Americans, including children, were killed yesterday in the latest act of gun violence to devastate our nation.”
He again urged Congress to act to stop a “epidemic” of guns and ordered that US flags be flown at half-staff “as a mark of respect for the victims.”
I’m asking Congress to bring me a bill once more that will outlaw assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, the 80-year-old Democrat stated.
Additionally, he requested that lawmakers abolish the legal immunity enjoyed by manufacturers whose weapons are used in attacks and impose background checks on all gun transactions.
“I’m going to sign it now. Nothing less is required for our streets to remain safe, according to Joe Biden.
The assault is the most recent in a disturbing trend of fatal US gun violence. Just a week prior, a man in Cleveland, Texas shot and killed five of his neighbours after one of them requested him to cease blasting his gun in his yard at night while a baby slept.
In recent weeks, a number of additional people have also been shot and killed for trivial arguments or simple errors like knocking on the wrong door or getting into the wrong car.
Despite having an abundance of guns, the United States has already experienced 199 major shootings this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-governmental organisation that defines a mass shooting as one that results in four or more persons being injured or killed.
President Biden criticised his political rivals for their inaction by stating that “too many families have empty chairs at their dinner tables.”
Republican lawmakers in Congress “cannot continue to shrug off this epidemic,” he warned. Tweeted prayers and thoughts are insufficient.
Not a “quick fix”
On Saturday afternoon, when it was packed with weekend shoppers, shooting broke out at Allen Premium Outlets, 35 miles (55 km) north of Dallas, according to authorities.
According to Allen police chief Brian Harvey, the officer in the mall “heard gunshots, went to the gunshots, engaged the suspect, and neutralised the suspect.”
In praising the prompt efforts of police for perhaps saving lives, Joe Biden joined local politicians.
Later, the police chief stated that investigators thought the unnamed shooter “acted alone.” CNN displayed a cropped image of the alleged shooter lying dead on the ground while donning extra magazines for his tactical gear and an AR-15-style rifle by his side.
Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, described the massacre as a “unspeakable tragedy.”
The Republican governor, however, steadfastly refused to be drawn into whether restricting access to firearms was a solution on Sunday, as Democrats renewed their calls for Congress to pass gun safety legislation and criticised Texas and other states for permitting permit-less carry of handguns.
“People seek an immediate fix. He told Fox News Sunday that dealing with the nation’s growing “anger and violence,” as well as the mental health problem, is the best long-term approach.
unimaginable carnage
When he went to the site and administered CPR to victims before emergency services arrived, Steven Spainhouer, a former police officer, said he was met with horrifying scenes.
He said, “Seeing the carnage is just beyond comprehension.”
The United States has the greatest rate of gun deaths of any developed nation—49,000 in 2021, up from 45,000 the year before—due to the fact that there are more firearms than people living there
