Biden renews call for gun control measures in wake of Maine shooting

President Joe Biden has renewed his calls for greater gun control following the mass shooting in Maine.

At least 18 people have been killed and 13 injured in a shooting in Lewiston, Maine, with 40-year-old Robert Card identified as the top person of interest. Biden, as he has done following similar incidents, said limiting access to guns will prevent further violence.

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“For countless Americans who have survived gun violence and been traumatized by it, a shooting such as this reopens deep and painful wounds,” Biden said in a prepared statement. “Far too many Americans have now had a family member killed or injured as a result of gun violence. That is not normal, and we cannot accept it.”

The shooting occurred at two locations in Lewiston: a bowling alley called Sparetime Recreation and Schemengees Bar and Grille Restaurant. Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) and Maine Department of Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck confirmed during a press conference that Card is still at large.

Biden outlined specifics later in the statement.

“While we have made progress on gun safety through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the two dozen executive actions I’ve taken, and the establishment of the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, it’s simply not enough,” he said.

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“I urge Republican lawmakers in Congress to fulfill their duty to protect the American people,” Biden continued. “Work with us to pass a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to enact universal background checks, to require safe storage of guns, and end immunity from liability for gun manufacturers.”

Those measures face long odds in a Republican-controlled House of Representatives. GOP presidential candidates have tended to focus instead on mental health, with some calling to bring back mental institutions. Card reported hearing voices, and was institutionalized for two weeks over the summer before being released.