Biden calls for tougher gun laws after Texas elementary school shooting

Biden calls for tougher gun laws after Texas elementary school shooting

President Joe Biden speaks about the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, from the White House, in Washington, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, as first lady Jill Biden listens. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lamenting a uniquely American tragedy, an anguished and angry President Joe Biden delivered an urgent call for new restrictions on firearms — after a gunman shot and killed at least 19 children and two adults at a Texas elementary school. Biden spoke from the White House barely an hour after returning from a five-day trip to Asia bracketed by mass shootings in the U.S. He pleaded for action to address gun violence after years of failure — and bitterly blamed firearm manufacturers and their supporters for blocking legislation in Washington. Speaking with emotion, Biden asked, “When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?” “Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen?”

Photo: President Joe Biden speaks about the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, from the White House, in Washington, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, as first lady Jill Biden listens. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)