President Joe Biden marked a pair of shootings in Texas and Nevada over the last 24 hours by expressing sympathy for families of those affected by both shootings, while also calling on Republicans in Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
Police said there were at least three victims after a shooting at the University of Nevada campus in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
At least six people were killed in shootings in two Central Texas communities on Tuesday.
Biden touted action he has taken since being elected president but said in a statement Wednesday, “We cannot do more without Congress.”
“Republican lawmakers must join with Democrats in Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, pass a national red flag law, enact universal background checks, require the safe storage of guns, and advance other commonsense measures that will help stem the tide of gun violence,” the president said.
Biden said federal law enforcement officials are working with state and local officials in Texas and Nevada.
ATF and the FBI are on the scene and stand ready to assist local partners in Las Vegas, a Department of Justice spokesperson said.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has also been briefed on the shooting at UNLV and is monitoring the situation, the spokesperson said.
“Together, we must do more to prevent more families, and more communities like Austin, San Antonio, and Las Vegas, from being ripped apart by gun violence,” Biden said.
CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz contributed reporting to this post.
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