Biden, Harris condemn gun violence after Georgia school shooting: ‘We cannot continue to accept this as normal’

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have released scathing statements after the shooting at Georgia’s Apalachee High School on Wednesday morning, September 4. Two students and two teachers died after 14-year-old gunman Colt Gray opened fire. Nine others were hospitalised.

‘We cannot continue to accept this as normal’

In a statement released by the White House and shared to X by Joe Biden, the president said he and his wife, Jill Biden, are mourning the deaths caused by “more senseless gun violence.” “What should have been a joyous back-to-school season in Winder, Georgia, has now turned into another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart. Students across the country are learning how to duck and cover instead of how to read and write. We cannot continue to accept this as normal,” Biden said.

“We are closely coordinating with officials at the federal, state and local level, and are grateful for the first responders who brought the suspect into custody and prevented further loss of life,” he added.

Biden said that putting an end to gun violence is “personal” to him, and so he signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and. He called the act “the most meaningful gun safety bill in decades” and stressed that he has “announced dozens of gun safety executive actions.”

“After decades of inaction, Republicans in Congress must finally say ‘enough is enough’ and work with Democrats to pass common-sense gun safety legislation. We must ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines once again, require safe storage of firearms, enact universal background checks, and end immunity for gun manufacturers. These measures will not bring those who were tragically killed today back, but it will help prevent more tragic gun violence from ripping more families apart,” Biden said.

‘This is a senseless tragedy’

Harris, too, condemned gun violence in an X post. “Today, Doug and I are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short by gun violence at Apalachee High School in Georgia,” she wrote. “Our hearts are with the students, teachers, and families impacted by this shooting, and we are grateful to the first responders and law enforcement on the scene.”

She added, “This is a senseless tragedy — and it does not have to be this way. We must end the epidemic of gun violence in our country once and for all.”

Gray, who is in custody, will be charged with murder as an adult, according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey. The deceased victims have been identified as math teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie, and 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo.

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