Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris called for an end to the “epidemic of gun violence” in the United States following a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, that left four people dead. Speaking at a rally in New Hampshire on Wednesday, the U.S. vice president renewed her push for an assault-weapons ban and tighter gun safety laws, both of which face strong opposition from Republicans.
“This is yet another senseless tragedy, on top of so many senseless tragedies,” Harris said, condemning the shooting as part of the nation’s ongoing crisis. “It’s outrageous that in the United States of America, parents send their children to school worrying whether they will come home alive.”
Harris urged Americans to rally behind efforts to curb gun violence, stressing, “We have to end this epidemic of gun violence once and for all. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
In the midst of a tight presidential race against Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, Harris also highlighted key elements of her proposed gun reforms. She called on Congress to pass an assault weapons ban, a measure similar to the one President Joe Biden helped enact in 1994, which expired in 2004 without being renewed. Harris also advocated for universal background checks and red flag laws, which would prevent individuals deemed a threat from owning firearms.
“It’s a false choice to say you’re either in favor of the Second Amendment or want to take everyone’s guns away,” Harris told the crowd. “I support the Second Amendment, but we also need reasonable gun safety laws in our country.”
Trump, a staunch advocate for gun rights, responded to the Georgia shooting on social media, expressing condolences for the victims, calling the perpetrator a “sick and deranged monster,” but offering no new policy proposals.
With the United States already experiencing hundreds of mass shootings this year, Harris’ remarks underscore the growing pressure on lawmakers to address the nation’s ongoing gun violence crisis.
