President Joe Biden offered prayers for the teacher and student killed in a school shooting on Monday in Madison, Wisconsin, while urging Congress to take action to prevent the gun violence epidemic.
A shooting occurred at Abundant Life Christian School, leaving two people dead - a student and teacher - and injuring six other students. The shooter was found dead.
In a statement, the president said his team has reached out to local officials to offer further support, while saying it's "unacceptable that we are unable to protect our children from this scourge of gun violence."
"We cannot continue to accept it as normal," the president said. "Every child deserves to feel safe in their class room. Students across our country should be learning how to read and write – not having to learn how to duck and cover."
Additional action to prevent gun violence is needed, he said, including commonsense gun safety laws, universal background checks, a national red flag law, as well as a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Biden's comments follow similar sentiments by Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway as well as U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, who represents the area in Congress.
"It is incredibly important that we take care of our community in this very difficult time, we all have a role in preventing gun violence," Rhodes-Conway said. "Our entire community needs to be part of the solution here."
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Pocan, meanwhile, called for more action to be taken by elected officials.
"...And more BACKBONE to stand up to gun manufacturers," he said in a post on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter. "This is uniquely a United States problem that doesn't have to happen."
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Biden's full statement can be read below:
Today, families in Madison, Wisconsin, are grieving the loss of those who were killed and wounded at Abundant Life Christian School. It’s shocking and unconscionable.
We need Congress to act. Now.
From Newtown to Uvalde, Parkland to Madison, to so many other shootings that don’t receive attention – it is unacceptable that we are unable to protect our children from this scourge of gun violence. We cannot continue to accept it as normal. Every child deserves to feel safe in their class room. Students across our country should be learning how to read and write – not having to learn how to duck and cover.
Jill and I are praying for all the victims today, including the teacher and teenage student who were killed and those who sustained injuries. We are grateful for the first responders who quickly arrived on the scene, and the FBI is supporting local law enforcement efforts. At my direction, my team has reached out to local officials to offer further support as needed.
My administration has taken aggressive action to combat the gun violence epidemic. We passed the most significant gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years, I have taken more executive action to reduce gun violence than any other President in history, and I created the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. But more is needed. Congress must pass commonsense gun safety laws: Universal background checks. A national red flag law. A ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
We can never accept senseless violence that traumatizes children, their families, and tears entire communities apart.
