The Brooklyn shooting has reignited the gun debate. As per reports, America reported over 45,000 gun deaths in 2020 and around 58% of American adults have experienced gun terror. We're joined by Edward P. Joseph, a Foreign policy analyst from Washington DC to decode the 'epidemic of gun violence'.

America & Guns: Why does Gun terror persist in the United States?

At least 17 people were injured in the New York subway shooting and 5 of them are in critical but stable condition. In the latest update, the New York police department has identified a person of interest. The Brooklyn shooting has reignited the gun debate in the United States.

Gun violence in US: How easy is it to buy a gun in America?

To reduce gun deaths and violent crimes in the US, the Biden administration has now introduced an executive order to bring in new restrictions on the sales of so-called Ghost Guns

Biden administration vows to tackle growing threat of 'Ghost Guns'

Nineteen people were shot and killed in central Mexico on Sunday, the State Attorney General's Office (FGE) said in a statement.

Authorities were called to the scene at around 10:30 pm (0430 GMT Monday) following reports of an attack on a festive gathering in the town of Las Tinajas, Michoacan state.

"19 lifeless bodies were found (16 men and three women), who had gunshot wounds," the FGE said.

Several others were injured and had been sent to hospital, it added.

Federal authorities are working "with the aim of capturing those responsible for the violent acts," the office of Michoacan's secretary of public security said on Twitter.

Authorities did not give a reason for the shooting.

But Michoacan and neighbouring Guanajuato are two of Mexico's most violent states, due to turf wars between rival gangs involved in drug trafficking and other illegal activities -- including trade in stolen fuel.

Michoacan is also the world's biggest avocado-producing region and threats against a US inspector working there last month prompted the United States to suspend Mexican exports of the fruit for more than a week.

Last month, an armed attack in the state believed to be the result of a gang dispute was reported to have killed up to 17 people at a wake.

The attack was believed to be motivated by "revenge" by one cell of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel against another, deputy security minister Ricardo Mejia said.

The government said it was unable to confirm the death toll because no bodies were found, although DNA samples of 11 possible victims were collected at the site.

Mexico has been trapped in a spiral of cartel-related violence since 2006, when the government launched a controversial anti-drug operation with federal troops.

There have been more than 340,000 murders since then, most of them blamed on fighting between criminals, according to official figures.

Earlier this month gunmen killed nine people in an attack on a house in central Mexico, in an "execution" of six men and three women that shook a middle-class area of the usually peaceful town of Atlixco.

Puebla state governor Miguel Barbosa said that the attack had been on "a place for the sale and distribution of drugs" and that the victims' identities were unknown.

Nineteen people were shot and killed in central Mexico on Sunday, the State Attorney General's Office (FGE) said in a statement. Authorities were called to the scene at around 10:30 pm (0430 GMT Monday) following reports of an attack on a festive gathering in the town of Las Tinajas, Michoacan state.

Nineteen people were shot and killed in central Mexico on Sunday, the State Attorney General's Office (FGE) said in a statement. Authorities were called to the scene at around 10:30 pm (0430 GMT Monday) following reports of an attack on a festive gathering in the town of Las Tinajas, Michoacan state. "19 lifeless bodies were found (16 men and three women), who had gunshot wounds," the FGE said. Several others were injured and had been sent to hospital, it added. Federal authorities are working "with the aim of capturing those responsible for the violent acts," the office of Michoacan's secretary of public security said on Twitter. Authorities did not give a reason for the shooting. But Michoacan and neighbouring Guanajuato are two of Mexico's most violent states, due to turf wars between rival gangs involved in drug trafficking and other illegal activities -- including trade in stolen fuel. Michoacan is also the world's biggest avocado-producing region and threats against a US inspector working there last month prompted the United States to suspend Mexican exports of the fruit for more than a week. Last month, an armed attack in the state believed to be the result of a gang dispute was reported to have killed up to 17 people at a wake. The attack was believed to be motivated by "revenge" by one cell of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel against another, deputy security minister Ricardo Mejia said. The government said it was unable to confirm the death toll because no bodies were found, although DNA samples of 11 possible victims were collected at the site. Mexico has been trapped in a spiral of cartel-related violence since 2006, when the government launched a controversial anti-drug operation with federal troops. There have been more than 340,000 murders since then, most of them blamed on fighting between criminals, according to official figures. Earlier this month gunmen killed nine people in an attack on a house in central Mexico, in an "execution" of six men and three women that shook a middle-class area of the usually peaceful town of Atlixco. Puebla state governor Miguel Barbosa said that the attack had been on "a place for the sale and distribution of drugs" and that the victims' identities were unknown.

19 killed, several injured in shootout in central Mexico

The devastation that Ukraine is facing has sparked a new debate among Americans, with many claiming that if the embattled Ukrainians were privy to guns they could've defended their country better. Let's take a look at what's being said.

USA debates: Could Ukrainians have defended their country better if they owned more guns?

US President Joe Biden visited the NYPD to address his administration’s strategy to confront the surge in crime and gun violence.

US President Joe Biden visits NYPD to address surge in gun crimes

A major university in the United States has shifted to online classes after a former professor threatened mass shooting on the campus.

The administration of UCLA in Los Angeles has told its 44,500 students that the studies would henceforth be conducted remotely.

The latest directive came following the arrest of former philosophy lecturer Matthew Harris on Tuesday who posted over 300 threatening videos on YouTube, and then sent an 800-page manifesto to staff threatening&nbsp;mass shooting.

The 31-year-old man had worked at UCLA till last year. He was put on leave after complaints from students that he had sent pornography videos to them.

“"Upon reviewing parts of the manifesto, we identified thousands of references to violence, stating things such as killing, death, murder, shootings, bombs, schoolyard massacre in Boulder,” Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold told reporters.

"The level of violence that we saw in the manifesto was obviously so alarming. We have not made connections yet across states, and that's why we have federal partners looking at this as well. But I can tell you it's very violent, very disturbing."

Mass shootings, particularly in schools, shopping malls and places of worship, are a recurring problem in the United States that successive governments have failed to curb.

Despite a majority of the US public being in favour of stricter gun control rules, attempts to limit access to firearms are regularly stymied by a powerful gun lobby, which cites a constitutional right to bear arms.

Gun violence claimed more than 44,000 lives in 2021, including suicides, according to the Gun Violence Archive, reported AFP.

(With inputs from agencies)

A major university in the United States has shifted to online classes after a former professor threatened mass shooting on the campus. The administration of UCLA in Los Angeles has told its 44,500 students that the studies would henceforth be conducted remotely.

A major university in the United States has shifted to online classes after a former professor threatened mass shooting on the campus. The administration of UCLA in Los Angeles has told its 44,500 students that the studies would henceforth be conducted remotely. The latest directive came following the arrest of former philosophy lecturer Matthew Harris on Tuesday who posted over 300 threatening videos on YouTube, and then sent an 800-page manifesto to staff threatening mass shooting. The 31-year-old man had worked at UCLA till last year. He was put on leave after complaints from students that he had sent pornography videos to them. “"Upon reviewing parts of the manifesto, we identified thousands of references to violence, stating things such as killing, death, murder, shootings, bombs, schoolyard massacre in Boulder,” Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold told reporters. "The level of violence that we saw in the manifesto was obviously so alarming. We have not made connections yet across states, and that's why we have federal partners looking at this as well. But I can tell you it's very violent, very disturbing." Mass shootings, particularly in schools, shopping malls and places of worship, are a recurring problem in the United States that successive governments have failed to curb. Despite a majority of the US public being in favour of stricter gun control rules, attempts to limit access to firearms are regularly stymied by a powerful gun lobby, which cites a constitutional right to bear arms. Gun violence claimed more than 44,000 lives in 2021, including suicides, according to the Gun Violence Archive, reported AFP. (With inputs from agencies)

US university shifts to online classes after ex-professor threatens mass shooting

As per the data in the year 2021, Law enforcement agencies in America's biggest cities have seized or recovered near decade-high numbers of firearms. Several police departments have also reported the recovery of a high number of ghost guns. What are 'ghost guns' and how are they fueling the violence epidemic in the United States? WION tells you in this report.

US: Police department report high numbers 'ghost guns' seizures

The Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a US gun violence monitoring group, reported that there were over 5,000 more fatal shootings during Joe Biden's first year in office compared to Donald Trump's first year as president.

Joe Biden's first year of Presidency saw 32% more gun violence than Trump's

Mayor of New York has pledged to tackle rising gun violence in the city. This comes a day after a New York city police officer was killed and another was injured in a Harlem apartment.

Mayor of New York pledges to tackle rising gun violence in city

During a daylight carjacking in Philadelphia, a congresswoman had her car and possessions snatched from her at gunpoint.

The two robbers took Mary Gay Scanlon's phone and ID. The democrat, however, did not suffer any injuries as a result of the incident.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/going-fur-free-italy-to-ban-fur-farming-and-shut-down-all-mink-farms-within-six-months-439222" hreflang="en">Going fur-free: Italy to ban fur farming and shut down all mink farms within six months</a>

Jim Kenney, the city's Democrat mayor, called the robbery, which took place at 14:45 local time (19:45 GMT) on Wednesday, "appalling."

FBI agents are helping to hunt down the attackers.

Scanlon was attacked by two men while on her way back to her car, a 2017 Acura MDX.&nbsp;She was walking alone to her car, after touring FDR park in South Philadelphia, which is part of her congressional district.

Her office said she was there for a work meeting.

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Statement from the Office of Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon on today's incident: <a href="https://t.co/fomScnWUXo">pic.twitter.com/fomScnWUXo</a>
— Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (@RepMGS) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMGS/status/1473777010010951681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Suddenly, two armed men with a dark-coloured SUV approached her and demanded her keys and belongings.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/kleptomaniac-kitty-plagues-town-in-new-zealand-steals-underwear-shoes-and-drugs-439218" hreflang="en">'Kleptomaniac kitty' plagues town in New Zealand; steals underwear, shoes and drugs</a>

"She's Philly tough so I know she will be ok!" tweeted fellow Democratic Philadelphia Congressman Brendan Boyle.

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Wishing my colleague and good friend <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMGS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepMGS</a> the very best. She’s Philly tough so I know she will be ok!
— US Rep Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepBrendanBoyle/status/1473771702987411468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Philadelphia, like many other US cities, has seen an increase in violent crime over the past year.

Watch |&nbsp;WION Wideangle | Gun Violence: The Hidden War

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-wideangle-gun-violence-the-hidden-war-388345/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

CBS News reports that carjackings in Philadelphia have increased by 80 per cent in 2021.&nbsp;Gunpoint robberies have also increased 27 per cent since 2020 in the City of Brotherly Love.

In Philadelphia this year, there have also been a record 544 homicides, up from 347 across the whole of 2019.

During a daylight carjacking in Philadelphia, a congresswoman had her car and possessions snatched from her at gunpoint. The two robbers took Mary Gay Scanlon's phone and ID.

During a daylight carjacking in Philadelphia, a congresswoman had her car and possessions snatched from her at gunpoint. The two robbers took Mary Gay Scanlon's phone and ID. The democrat, however, did not suffer any injuries as a result of the incident. Also read | Going fur-free: Italy to ban fur farming and shut down all mink farms within six months Jim Kenney, the city's Democrat mayor, called the robbery, which took place at 14:45 local time (19:45 GMT) on Wednesday, "appalling." FBI agents are helping to hunt down the attackers. Scanlon was attacked by two men while on her way back to her car, a 2017 Acura MDX. She was walking alone to her car, after touring FDR park in South Philadelphia, which is part of her congressional district. Her office said she was there for a work meeting. Statement from the Office of Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon on today's incident: pic.twitter.com/fomScnWUXo — Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (@RepMGS) December 22, 2021 × Suddenly, two armed men with a dark-coloured SUV approached her and demanded her keys and belongings. Also read | 'Kleptomaniac kitty' plagues town in New Zealand; steals underwear, shoes and drugs "She's Philly tough so I know she will be ok!" tweeted fellow Democratic Philadelphia Congressman Brendan Boyle. Wishing my colleague and good friend @RepMGS the very best. She’s Philly tough so I know she will be ok! — US Rep Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) December 22, 2021 × Philadelphia, like many other US cities, has seen an increase in violent crime over the past year. Watch | WION Wideangle | Gun Violence: The Hidden War CBS News reports that carjackings in Philadelphia have increased by 80 per cent in 2021. Gunpoint robberies have also increased 27 per cent since 2020 in the City of Brotherly Love. In Philadelphia this year, there have also been a record 544 homicides, up from 347 across the whole of 2019.

With violent crimes on the rise, Philadelphia congresswoman carjacked at gunpoint in broad daylight

Prosecutors in Michigan took a rare step Friday by filing involuntary manslaughter charges against the parents of the 15-year-old accused of fatally shooting four students in the halls of Oxford High School, according to court documents.

The office of Karen D. McDonald, the prosecutor in Oakland County, filed four charges of involuntary manslaughter against James and Jennifer Crumbley, one for each of the students killed.

Law enforcement authorities say that James Crumbley legally bought the 9 mm Sig Sauer handgun four days before his son used it to carry out the country’s deadliest school shooting this year. Hours before the attack, he and his wife met with school officials who were concerned about their son’s behaviour.

It is unclear how their son, Ethan, obtained the handgun and brought it to school. But law enforcement authorities say he walked out of a school bathroom Tuesday afternoon armed with the semi-automatic pistol and three 15-round magazines.

He opened fire on his classmates, authorities said, firing more than 30 rounds before he was apprehended. The slain students were identified as Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Justin Shilling, 17; and Hana St. Juliana, 14. Seven other people were wounded.

Although many underage school shooters arm themselves with guns from home, the adults responsible for the weapons are rarely charged, experts say.

Many states, including Michigan, do not have laws requiring guns to be locked away, and experts say prosecuting a gunman’s family members in the raw aftermath of a mass shooting can raise divisive questions pitting Second Amendment rights against gun safety.

When McDonald announced a litany of charges that included terrorism — rare in school shooting cases — against the suspect the day after the rampage at Oxford High School in suburban Detroit, she made a point to say she was also considering charging his parents.

“Owning a gun means securing it properly and locking it and keeping the ammunition separate and not allowing access to other individuals, particularly minors,” McDonald said at a news conference Wednesday. “We have to hold individuals accountable who don’t do that.”

A lawyer for Ethan Crumbley pleaded not guilty on his behalf this week.

Investigators say the teenager talked about his desire and plans to kill classmates at Oxford in two cellphone videos and a journal they found in his backpack.

Sheriff Michael Bouchard of Oakland County said that Oxford school officials had spoken twice to the suspect about concerns over his classroom behaviour — once the day before the shooting, and again that morning. But the superintendent of the Oxford school district said the suspect did not have a disciplinary record at the high school and added the concerns about his behaviour did not lead to any punishment.

“No discipline was warranted,” Tim Throne, superintendent of the Oxford Community Schools, said in a YouTube video posted Thursday.

Gun control advocates have argued for more prosecutions of adults when their weapons fall into the hands of children, leading to suicides, accidental deaths or intentional school shootings. But legal experts say a patchwork of state laws — some stringent and some lax — regulating gun storage and children’s access to weapons can pose a hurdle to prosecutions.

Kris Brown, president of the gun control group Brady United, said that Michigan, unlike nearly 30 other states, did not have what was known as a child access prevention law requiring adults to keep any guns in their home out of the reach of children.

“The idea is that if you have a kid in the home, even if it is not your own kid, any firearm needs to be stored safely — which means unloaded, locked and separated from any ammunition,” Brown said.

States like California and New York set tougher safety standards for gun owners, while more gun-friendly states in the Southeast impose penalties only if a child actually obtains or fires a gun.

“Michigan doesn’t have a strong law or a weak law,” Brown said. “It has no law on this.”

Parents across the country have been charged with child abuse, violating gun laws and even negligent manslaughter after their young children accidentally shot themselves or other children. But gun control experts said McDonald’s move to charge the parents of a mass shooting suspect was almost unheard-of.

“I can’t think of a high-profile mass shooting where the parents were prosecuted,” said Allison Anderman, director of local policy at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

In western Kentucky, there were calls three years ago to prosecute the stepfather of a 15-year-old school shooter after authorities learned the teenage gunman had obtained his stepfather’s handgun from an unlocked bedroom closet.

But the local prosecutor, Dennis Foust, decided he could not make a case against the stepfather. Kentucky law makes it a crime to “intentionally, knowingly or recklessly” provide a handgun to a minor — a high standard to prove. Foust said the stepfather did not know the gun was gone until questioned by investigators after the shooting.

“I’m a firm believer in gun responsibility, but we just didn’t see there was enough there,” he said.

Foust said that local law enforcement also opposed charging the stepfather with a crime and wanted to keep the focus of the prosecution squarely on the gunman, who is serving a life sentence after killing two classmates.

“There needs to be accountability,” Foust said. “But under our situation, we weren’t able to do that. I don’t know that society, at least here, would effect sufficient change to be able to prosecute a parent.”

Prosecutors in Michigan took a rare step Friday by filing involuntary manslaughter charges against the parents of the 15-year-old accused of fatally shooting four students in the halls of Oxford High School, according to court documents.

Prosecutors in Michigan took a rare step Friday by filing involuntary manslaughter charges against the parents of the 15-year-old accused of fatally shooting four students in the halls of Oxford High School, according to court documents. The office of Karen D. McDonald, the prosecutor in Oakland County, filed four charges of involuntary manslaughter against James and Jennifer Crumbley, one for each of the students killed. Law enforcement authorities say that James Crumbley legally bought the 9 mm Sig Sauer handgun four days before his son used it to carry out the country’s deadliest school shooting this year. Hours before the attack, he and his wife met with school officials who were concerned about their son’s behaviour. It is unclear how their son, Ethan, obtained the handgun and brought it to school. But law enforcement authorities say he walked out of a school bathroom Tuesday afternoon armed with the semi-automatic pistol and three 15-round magazines. He opened fire on his classmates, authorities said, firing more than 30 rounds before he was apprehended. The slain students were identified as Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Justin Shilling, 17; and Hana St. Juliana, 14. Seven other people were wounded. Although many underage school shooters arm themselves with guns from home, the adults responsible for the weapons are rarely charged, experts say. Many states, including Michigan, do not have laws requiring guns to be locked away, and experts say prosecuting a gunman’s family members in the raw aftermath of a mass shooting can raise divisive questions pitting Second Amendment rights against gun safety. When McDonald announced a litany of charges that included terrorism — rare in school shooting cases — against the suspect the day after the rampage at Oxford High School in suburban Detroit, she made a point to say she was also considering charging his parents. “Owning a gun means securing it properly and locking it and keeping the ammunition separate and not allowing access to other individuals, particularly minors,” McDonald said at a news conference Wednesday. “We have to hold individuals accountable who don’t do that.” A lawyer for Ethan Crumbley pleaded not guilty on his behalf this week. Investigators say the teenager talked about his desire and plans to kill classmates at Oxford in two cellphone videos and a journal they found in his backpack. Sheriff Michael Bouchard of Oakland County said that Oxford school officials had spoken twice to the suspect about concerns over his classroom behaviour — once the day before the shooting, and again that morning. But the superintendent of the Oxford school district said the suspect did not have a disciplinary record at the high school and added the concerns about his behaviour did not lead to any punishment. “No discipline was warranted,” Tim Throne, superintendent of the Oxford Community Schools, said in a YouTube video posted Thursday. Gun control advocates have argued for more prosecutions of adults when their weapons fall into the hands of children, leading to suicides, accidental deaths or intentional school shootings. But legal experts say a patchwork of state laws — some stringent and some lax — regulating gun storage and children’s access to weapons can pose a hurdle to prosecutions. Kris Brown, president of the gun control group Brady United, said that Michigan, unlike nearly 30 other states, did not have what was known as a child access prevention law requiring adults to keep any guns in their home out of the reach of children. “The idea is that if you have a kid in the home, even if it is not your own kid, any firearm needs to be stored safely — which means unloaded, locked and separated from any ammunition,” Brown said. States like California and New York set tougher safety standards for gun owners, while more gun-friendly states in the Southeast impose penalties only if a child actually obtains or fires a gun. “Michigan doesn’t have a strong law or a weak law,” Brown said. “It has no law on this.” Parents across the country have been charged with child abuse, violating gun laws and even negligent manslaughter after their young children accidentally shot themselves or other children. But gun control experts said McDonald’s move to charge the parents of a mass shooting suspect was almost unheard-of. “I can’t think of a high-profile mass shooting where the parents were prosecuted,” said Allison Anderman, director of local policy at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. In western Kentucky, there were calls three years ago to prosecute the stepfather of a 15-year-old school shooter after authorities learned the teenage gunman had obtained his stepfather’s handgun from an unlocked bedroom closet. But the local prosecutor, Dennis Foust, decided he could not make a case against the stepfather. Kentucky law makes it a crime to “intentionally, knowingly or recklessly” provide a handgun to a minor — a high standard to prove. Foust said the stepfather did not know the gun was gone until questioned by investigators after the shooting. “I’m a firm believer in gun responsibility, but we just didn’t see there was enough there,” he said. Foust said that local law enforcement also opposed charging the stepfather with a crime and wanted to keep the focus of the prosecution squarely on the gunman, who is serving a life sentence after killing two classmates. “There needs to be accountability,” Foust said. “But under our situation, we weren’t able to do that. I don’t know that society, at least here, would effect sufficient change to be able to prosecute a parent.”

Michigan shooting suspect’s parents charged with involuntary manslaughter

At least two people were killed and four others, including a police officer, were injured when a gunman opened fire&nbsp;in a shopping mall in Idaho state, US.

Police were called in following reports of shooting at the Boise Towne Square Mall on Monday afternoon (local time) and “that at least one person was shot and down,” Boise city’s police chief Ryan Lee told reporters.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found someone matching the description of the suspect and there was an “exchange of gunfire”, Lee said.

One officer was injured and the gunman was taken into custody, according to Lee.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-shooting-gunman-kills-six-before-taking-his-own-life-at-colarado-birthday-party-383959">US shooting: Gunman kills six before taking his own life at Colarado birthday party</a>

“We really cannot at this time speak to any motivation behind it, or anything else that may impact the investigation,” he said.&nbsp;

The New York Times reported the two-story Boise Towne Square mall is made up of more than 150 stores and restaurants.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-police-officers-killed-in-us-shooting-381766">Two police officers killed in US shooting</a>

According to local reports, both the FBI and ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) are assisting in the investigation. Authorities closed the roads leading to the mall following the shooting.

Officers were working to clear each business in the mall, police said, adding that there's no indication there are additional threats or additional shooters.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-shooting-leaves-1-dead-in-northern-indiana-shopping-mall-327119">US: Shooting leaves 1 dead in northern Indiana shopping mall</a>

Boise Mayor Lauren McClean offered her condolences to the victims and her thanks to those in the mall who came to the aid of people inside the shopping complex.

"I want to thank the shopkeepers, the people in the mall that reacted so quickly to take care of folks who were there," she said.

"You showed in a tough and chaotic moment how much you care, and what you are willing to do to support and care for strangers."

Mass shootings are a recurrent problem in the US and the experts have attributed the rise in such incidents owing to relatively lax gun laws.

According to ABC news, which has cited data from the GUN violence Archive, over 20,000 deaths and 39,000 injuries have been reported across the US due to mass shootings.

(With inputs from agencies)

At least two people were killed and four others, including a police officer, were injured when a gunman opened fire in a shopping mall in Idaho state, US. Police were called in following reports of shooting at the Boise Towne Square Mall on Monday afternoon (local time) and “that at least one person was shot and down,” Boise city’s police chief Ryan Lee told reporters.

At least two people were killed and four others, including a police officer, were injured when a gunman opened fire in a shopping mall in Idaho state, US. Police were called in following reports of shooting at the Boise Towne Square Mall on Monday afternoon (local time) and “that at least one person was shot and down,” Boise city’s police chief Ryan Lee told reporters. When officers arrived at the scene, they found someone matching the description of the suspect and there was an “exchange of gunfire”, Lee said. One officer was injured and the gunman was taken into custody, according to Lee. Also read | US shooting: Gunman kills six before taking his own life at Colarado birthday party “We really cannot at this time speak to any motivation behind it, or anything else that may impact the investigation,” he said. The New York Times reported the two-story Boise Towne Square mall is made up of more than 150 stores and restaurants. Also read | Two police officers killed in US shooting According to local reports, both the FBI and ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) are assisting in the investigation. Authorities closed the roads leading to the mall following the shooting. Officers were working to clear each business in the mall, police said, adding that there's no indication there are additional threats or additional shooters. Also read | US: Shooting leaves 1 dead in northern Indiana shopping mall Boise Mayor Lauren McClean offered her condolences to the victims and her thanks to those in the mall who came to the aid of people inside the shopping complex. "I want to thank the shopkeepers, the people in the mall that reacted so quickly to take care of folks who were there," she said. "You showed in a tough and chaotic moment how much you care, and what you are willing to do to support and care for strangers." Mass shootings are a recurrent problem in the US and the experts have attributed the rise in such incidents owing to relatively lax gun laws. According to ABC news, which has cited data from the GUN violence Archive, over 20,000 deaths and 39,000 injuries have been reported across the US due to mass shootings. (With inputs from agencies)

At least 2 killed, 4 injured in shooting at US mall, police yet to determine motive

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso on Monday declared a state of emergency in the country grappling with a surge in drug-related violence, and ordered the mobilization of armed forces in the streets.

Ecuador grapples with rise in drug-related violence

Gun violence has plagued America for centuries. More than 100 Americans are killed every day by guns. WION's Palki Sharma travelled through Washington D.C. to find out why America has failed to rein in gun terror. Here's a Ground Report.

Gravitas US Edition: Gun Terror in America: A WION Ground Report

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced new emergency measures to fight gun violence. He has also declared gun violence 'a disaster emergency'.

Andrew Cuomo announces new law against gun violence amid rising crimes in New York

Andrew Cuomo announces emergency measures against gun violence

Florida Police officers shot a 14-year-old girl on Tuesday night after she and a 12-year-old boy opened fire on deputies. The girl was shot in the abdomen and the arm and is in stable condition, while the boy had surrendered and was not injured. The sheriff's office has released the videos.

Florida: 12 & 14-year-olds involved in shootout with police

14-year-old girl & 12-year-old boy were involved in a shootout with 8 cops in Florida. Sheriff's office says, kids broke into a house, found guns & opened fire on police. The girl was shot in the abdomen & arm but is stable after surgery. Sheriff's office has released the videos.

Florida: 2 armed teenagers in shootout with 8 deputies

In another case of gun violence, a firefighter shot his colleague at Los Angeles County fire station in Agua Dulce.

The attacker was an off-duty firefighter who fatally shot his colleague, then injured the fire captain, and ran back home where he hid for hours, before setting the house on fire.

After firing in the fire station, the attacker barricaded himself in the house, which was set on fire. The attacker was later found dead in the house with a bullet wound.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-wideangle-gun-violence-the-hidden-war-388345">WATCH |</a>

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The incident occurred around 11 am (local time) at Fire Station 81. During the incident, a 44-year-old fire specialist lost his life in this violent attack. Another 54-year-old fire captain was also critically injured.

"This morning when I received the news ... it was some of the worst news I've heard in my career," Fire Chief Daryl Osby reported. "As a fire chief, I've dealt with a lot death and fallen members in my department. And I've always prayed we would never have a line of duty death. I never thought it would occur in this fashion."

The motive of the shooting has not yet been made clear and an investigation has been initiated into the matter.

In another case of gun violence, a firefighter shot his colleague at Los Angeles County fire station in Agua Dulce. The attacker was an off-duty firefighter who fatally shot his colleague, then injured the fire captain, and ran back home where he hid for hours, before setting the house on fire.

In another case of gun violence, a firefighter shot his colleague at Los Angeles County fire station in Agua Dulce. The attacker was an off-duty firefighter who fatally shot his colleague, then injured the fire captain, and ran back home where he hid for hours, before setting the house on fire. After firing in the fire station, the attacker barricaded himself in the house, which was set on fire. The attacker was later found dead in the house with a bullet wound. WATCH | The incident occurred around 11 am (local time) at Fire Station 81. During the incident, a 44-year-old fire specialist lost his life in this violent attack. Another 54-year-old fire captain was also critically injured. "This morning when I received the news ... it was some of the worst news I've heard in my career," Fire Chief Daryl Osby reported. "As a fire chief, I've dealt with a lot death and fallen members in my department. And I've always prayed we would never have a line of duty death. I never thought it would occur in this fashion." The motive of the shooting has not yet been made clear and an investigation has been initiated into the matter.

Los Angeles County shooting: One firefighter dead, another wounded

At least two people have been declared dead and 12 injured after a gunman opened fire at a house party in South Jersey.

On Saturday night, the local police received calls for help to a house in Fairfield Township near Philadelphia.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/italy-at-least-13-dead-in-cable-car-accident-386927">Italy: At least 13 dead in cable car accident</a>

When the New Jersey State Police reached the scene of the crime, they found a 30-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman fatally shot. A group of 12 other party attendees were also injured and were rushed to nearby hospitals.

"I just started hearing at first what I thought was fireworks, it was really gunshots, and I heard nine in rapid succession," Rev. Michael Keene of the Trinity AME Church was quoted by local reporters. "f you're going to a party, why do you need to take a gun? If you're there to have a good time why do you need a gun with you? That means you're expecting trouble to me."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-nine-people-injured-in-explosives-factory-blast-386920" hreflang="en">Iran: Nine people injured in explosives factory blast</a>

Pictures from the scene of crime show overturned tables, chairs and pop-up party tents. The driveway to the house was still queued up with cars of the party attendees.

"Since late last night, the New Jersey State Police and county and local law enforcement in Cumberland County have been investigating the horrific mass shooting at a large house party in Fairfield Township that attracted hundreds of party-goers,:" New Jersey governor, Phil Murphy, said.

The local authorities are investigating the matter, and no further details have been released on the victims or culprits yet.

At least two people have been declared dead and 12 injured after a gunman opened fire at a house party in South Jersey. On Saturday night, the local police received calls for help to a house in Fairfield Township near Philadelphia.

At least two people have been declared dead and 12 injured after a gunman opened fire at a house party in South Jersey. On Saturday night, the local police received calls for help to a house in Fairfield Township near Philadelphia. Also read | Italy: At least 13 dead in cable car accident When the New Jersey State Police reached the scene of the crime, they found a 30-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman fatally shot. A group of 12 other party attendees were also injured and were rushed to nearby hospitals. "I just started hearing at first what I thought was fireworks, it was really gunshots, and I heard nine in rapid succession," Rev. Michael Keene of the Trinity AME Church was quoted by local reporters. "f you're going to a party, why do you need to take a gun? If you're there to have a good time why do you need a gun with you? That means you're expecting trouble to me." Also read | Iran: Nine people injured in explosives factory blast Pictures from the scene of crime show overturned tables, chairs and pop-up party tents. The driveway to the house was still queued up with cars of the party attendees. "Since late last night, the New Jersey State Police and county and local law enforcement in Cumberland County have been investigating the horrific mass shooting at a large house party in Fairfield Township that attracted hundreds of party-goers,:" New Jersey governor, Phil Murphy, said. The local authorities are investigating the matter, and no further details have been released on the victims or culprits yet.

New Jersey: At least 2 dead, 12 injured after mass shooting at house party

A shooting took place in New York’s famous and busiest Times Square, injuring a four-year-old girl and two women.

The shooting took place a little before 5 pm (local time) at the intersection of 7th Avenue and 44th Street, an NYPD spokesperson told AFP.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-enforces-stricter-rules-against-ghost-guns-in-us-383594" hreflang="en">Biden enforces stricter rules against 'ghost guns' in US</a>

During the shooting, a four-year-old was hit in the leg while she was in her stroller and toy shopping with her family. Another 46-year-old woman was hit in the foot and a 23-year-old girl from Rhode Islands, who was touring the city, was hit in the leg.

The injured were hospitalised in Manhattan and are currently out of danger, informed New York police commissioner Dermot Shea.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-york-times-square-shooting-leaves-three-injured-383786">Watch |</a>

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As per the officials, three bystanders — who did not know each other — got into an argument and at least one of them fired. However, no arrests have been made yet but the local police is appealing witnesses to come forward with any information.

The local police have also released surveillance camera footage of a wanted man from the incident.

This incident has come as yet another reminder of the country's increasing crime rate and gun violence. While crime, in general, has increased by nearly 30 per cent in the last year, US President, Joe Biden, is aiming to toughen the regulations against ownership of guns to control the alarming increase in such cases.

A shooting took place in New York’s famous and busiest Times Square, injuring a four-year-old girl and two women. The shooting took place a little before 5 pm (local time) at the intersection of 7th Avenue and 44th Street, an NYPD spokesperson told AFP.

A shooting took place in New York’s famous and busiest Times Square, injuring a four-year-old girl and two women. The shooting took place a little before 5 pm (local time) at the intersection of 7th Avenue and 44th Street, an NYPD spokesperson told AFP. Also read | Biden enforces stricter rules against 'ghost guns' in US During the shooting, a four-year-old was hit in the leg while she was in her stroller and toy shopping with her family. Another 46-year-old woman was hit in the foot and a 23-year-old girl from Rhode Islands, who was touring the city, was hit in the leg. The injured were hospitalised in Manhattan and are currently out of danger, informed New York police commissioner Dermot Shea. Watch | As per the officials, three bystanders — who did not know each other — got into an argument and at least one of them fired. However, no arrests have been made yet but the local police is appealing witnesses to come forward with any information. The local police have also released surveillance camera footage of a wanted man from the incident. This incident has come as yet another reminder of the country's increasing crime rate and gun violence. While crime, in general, has increased by nearly 30 per cent in the last year, US President, Joe Biden, is aiming to toughen the regulations against ownership of guns to control the alarming increase in such cases.

Shooting at New York Times Square injures 3, including a child

The US Justice Department has announced plans to tighten the firearm regulations, especially on home-assembled, untraceable ‘ghost guns’.

As per the data, the department has recovered more than 23,000 firearms without a serial number, and which are usually made from kits bought online or even from parts printed on 3D printing. These kits for firearms are easily available at gun shows or illegal shops and do not require any background checks before being sold.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/girl-in-6th-grade-detained-after-idaho-school-shooting-injures-3-383417" hreflang="en">Girl in 6th grade detained after Idaho school shooting injures 3</a>

Manufacturers are also using the loopholes in the regulations to sell ‘ghost guns’ without a serial number making it easier for criminals to hide their weapons after committing a crime.

Out of this figure of 23,000, more than 325 have been successfully linked to a murder (or attempted murder) case, the department claimed.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/united-states-president-joe-biden-touts-115-billion-investment-plan-383504">Watch |</a>

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Now, US President Joe Biden has brought in stricter rules and regulations against gun violence, especially against ‘ghost guns’. The Justice Department has now instructed retailers to out serial numbers even on the parts being sold individually.

In addition to this, the department has also made it compulsory for retailers to perform background checks on buyers of kits that include parts needed to make a gun at home. To curb the issue of 3D printing, all federally licensed dealers will, from now on, have to emboss serial numbers even on the 3D-printed guns that they produce and sell.

“This proposed rule would help keep guns out of the wrong hands and make it easier for law enforcement to trace guns used to commit violent crimes,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement. “Although this rulemaking will solve only one aspect of the problem, we have an obligation to do our part to keep our families and our neighborhoods safe from gun violence.”

The US Justice Department has announced plans to tighten the firearm regulations, especially on home-assembled, untraceable ‘ghost guns’. As per the data, the department has recovered more than 23,000 firearms without a serial number, and which are usually made from kits bought online or even from parts printed on 3D printing.

The US Justice Department has announced plans to tighten the firearm regulations, especially on home-assembled, untraceable ‘ghost guns’. As per the data, the department has recovered more than 23,000 firearms without a serial number, and which are usually made from kits bought online or even from parts printed on 3D printing. These kits for firearms are easily available at gun shows or illegal shops and do not require any background checks before being sold. Also read | Girl in 6th grade detained after Idaho school shooting injures 3 Manufacturers are also using the loopholes in the regulations to sell ‘ghost guns’ without a serial number making it easier for criminals to hide their weapons after committing a crime. Out of this figure of 23,000, more than 325 have been successfully linked to a murder (or attempted murder) case, the department claimed. Watch | Now, US President Joe Biden has brought in stricter rules and regulations against gun violence, especially against ‘ghost guns’. The Justice Department has now instructed retailers to out serial numbers even on the parts being sold individually. In addition to this, the department has also made it compulsory for retailers to perform background checks on buyers of kits that include parts needed to make a gun at home. To curb the issue of 3D printing, all federally licensed dealers will, from now on, have to emboss serial numbers even on the 3D-printed guns that they produce and sell. “This proposed rule would help keep guns out of the wrong hands and make it easier for law enforcement to trace guns used to commit violent crimes,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement. “Although this rulemaking will solve only one aspect of the problem, we have an obligation to do our part to keep our families and our neighborhoods safe from gun violence.”

Biden enforces stricter rules against 'ghost guns' in US

A sixth-grade girl pulled a handgun from a backpack at her eastern Idaho school on Thursday and opened fire, hitting two fellow students and a member of school staff and inflicting non-life-threatening injuries on them, officials said.

The girl was disarmed by a teacher at Rigby Middle School in Rigby, Idaho, a remote community about 270 miles (435 km) east of Boise, and held until law enforcement arrived, Jefferson County Sheriff Steve Anderson said. Her name and exact age weren't immediately released.

"She fired multiple rounds inside of the school and out," Anderson said at a news conference. "We don't have a lot of details of why. That is being investigated."

Students were sent home with their parents immediately after the shootings and classes will be canceled on Friday, Jefferson School District Superintendent Chad Martin said.

"This is the worst nightmare any school district could ever face," said Martin. "We prepare for it and we're never truly ready for it."

Several law enforcement agencies are involved in the investigation of the shooting, which happened shortly after 9 a.m. local time, Jefferson County Sheriff Anderson said. Local media had previously reported that a male student was taken into custody after the shooting.

Depending on the outcome of the investigation, Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Taylor said charges against the girl could include three counts of attempted murder.

None of the gunshot wounds were life-threatening, Michael Lemon, trauma director at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center said.

"They could be so much worse," Lemon said. "We feel absolutely blessed."

The school staff member was treated and released for his injury, while the two students were being kept overnight for observation, he said.

Idaho Governor Brad Little issued a brief statement shortly after the incident.

"Thank you to our law enforcement agencies and school leaders for their efforts in responding to the incident," Little said on Twitter. "I am staying updated on the situation."

A sixth-grade girl pulled a handgun from a backpack at her eastern Idaho school on Thursday and opened fire, hitting two fellow students and a member of school staff and inflicting non-life-threatening injuries on them, officials said.

A sixth-grade girl pulled a handgun from a backpack at her eastern Idaho school on Thursday and opened fire, hitting two fellow students and a member of school staff and inflicting non-life-threatening injuries on them, officials said. The girl was disarmed by a teacher at Rigby Middle School in Rigby, Idaho, a remote community about 270 miles (435 km) east of Boise, and held until law enforcement arrived, Jefferson County Sheriff Steve Anderson said. Her name and exact age weren't immediately released. "She fired multiple rounds inside of the school and out," Anderson said at a news conference. "We don't have a lot of details of why. That is being investigated." Students were sent home with their parents immediately after the shootings and classes will be canceled on Friday, Jefferson School District Superintendent Chad Martin said. "This is the worst nightmare any school district could ever face," said Martin. "We prepare for it and we're never truly ready for it." Several law enforcement agencies are involved in the investigation of the shooting, which happened shortly after 9 a.m. local time, Jefferson County Sheriff Anderson said. Local media had previously reported that a male student was taken into custody after the shooting. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Taylor said charges against the girl could include three counts of attempted murder. None of the gunshot wounds were life-threatening, Michael Lemon, trauma director at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center said. "They could be so much worse," Lemon said. "We feel absolutely blessed." The school staff member was treated and released for his injury, while the two students were being kept overnight for observation, he said. Idaho Governor Brad Little issued a brief statement shortly after the incident. "Thank you to our law enforcement agencies and school leaders for their efforts in responding to the incident," Little said on Twitter. "I am staying updated on the situation."

Girl in 6th grade detained after Idaho school shooting injures 3

Among eight people who were killed at a shooting in FedEx facility in Indianapolis on Thursday included four people belonging to the Sikh community. The three women and one men were identified by a community leader&nbsp;on Friday.

"Out of eight, four are Sikh community members," Gurinder Singh Khalsa said. He claims to be the leader of the local Sikh community and told Reuters that he had spoken to the families of those who had died.

Additionally, Khalsa said that the FedEx facility in question, situated near the city’s international airport provided employment to older members of the Sikh community who did not speak English very well. Even then, Indianapolis police have not confirmed the identities of the victims so far.

Komal Chohan, a law student told Reuters on Twitter that her grandmother Amarjeet Kaur Johal was among the eight victims. She added how many of her relatives who worked at the facility were traumatised.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/indianapolis-shooting-8-people-killed-at-fedex-facility-suspect-also-dead-377933" hreflang="en">Indianapolis shooting: 8 people killed at FedEx facility, suspect also dead</a>

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Genae Cook said that when officers arrived at the FedEx facility, they found an "active shooter incident”.

"This is a tragedy, but we will come through it with flying colours," Cook said through tears during a news conference early Friday.

Police believe the shooter has died by suicide. Cook said officials do not believe there is an active threat to the community. FedEx released a statement early Friday saying it is cooperating with authorities and working to get more information.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/multiple-people-shot-at-indianapolis-fedex-facility-shooter-takes-own-life-377916" hreflang="en">Multiple people shot at Indianapolis FedEx facility; shooter takes own life</a>

“We are aware of the tragic shooting at our FedEx Ground facility near the Indianapolis airport. Safety is our top priority, and our thoughts are with all those who are affected,” the statement said.

A Reuters estimate claims that over 500,00 Sikhs live in the United States.

(With inputs from agencies)

Among eight people who were killed at a shooting in FedEx facility in Indianapolis on Thursday included four people belonging to the Sikh community. The three women and one men were identified by a community leader on Friday.

Among eight people who were killed at a shooting in FedEx facility in Indianapolis on Thursday included four people belonging to the Sikh community. The three women and one men were identified by a community leader on Friday. "Out of eight, four are Sikh community members," Gurinder Singh Khalsa said. He claims to be the leader of the local Sikh community and told Reuters that he had spoken to the families of those who had died. Additionally, Khalsa said that the FedEx facility in question, situated near the city’s international airport provided employment to older members of the Sikh community who did not speak English very well. Even then, Indianapolis police have not confirmed the identities of the victims so far. Komal Chohan, a law student told Reuters on Twitter that her grandmother Amarjeet Kaur Johal was among the eight victims. She added how many of her relatives who worked at the facility were traumatised. Also read: Indianapolis shooting: 8 people killed at FedEx facility, suspect also dead Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Genae Cook said that when officers arrived at the FedEx facility, they found an "active shooter incident”. "This is a tragedy, but we will come through it with flying colours," Cook said through tears during a news conference early Friday. Police believe the shooter has died by suicide. Cook said officials do not believe there is an active threat to the community. FedEx released a statement early Friday saying it is cooperating with authorities and working to get more information. Also read: Multiple people shot at Indianapolis FedEx facility; shooter takes own life “We are aware of the tragic shooting at our FedEx Ground facility near the Indianapolis airport. Safety is our top priority, and our thoughts are with all those who are affected,” the statement said. A Reuters estimate claims that over 500,00 Sikhs live in the United States. (With inputs from agencies)

Four Sikhs among eight victims of FedEx facility shooting in Indianapolis: Report

President Joe Biden pledged to “do more” to address gun violence and implored Congress to act after a mass shooting in Indianapolis left eight people dead. But his administration, scrambling to respond to a new cycle of violence, rejected calls to appoint a gun czar to more forcefully confront the crisis.

At a news conference Friday with the Japanese prime minister, Biden called gun violence across the country “a national embarrassment” and urged Senate Republicans to allow a vote on a gun control bill that has already passed the House.

“This has to end,” he said. “Who in God’s name needs a weapon that can hold 100 rounds or 40 rounds or 20 rounds? It’s just wrong.”

In an earlier statement, Biden said he had been briefed on the attack in Indianapolis on Thursday, in which “a lone gunman murdered eight people and wounded several more in the dark of night.” He ordered flags lowered to half-staff just two weeks after he had given a similar directive in response to massacres in Atlanta and Boulder, Colorado.

“Gun violence is an epidemic in America,” he said. “But we should not accept it. We must act. We can, and must, do more to act and to save lives. God bless the eight fellow Americans we lost in Indianapolis and their loved ones, and we pray for the wounded for their recovery.”

His press secretary, Jen Psaki, rejected suggestions that Biden appoint a gun czar, similar to the position he created to address the climate crisis. The White House argued that the main impediment to addressing the crisis was congressional Republicans, not a lack of will in the West Wing.

“I would say that advocates should pressure Republicans in the Senate, that all of you should pressure Republicans in the Senate and ask them why they are opposing universal background checks,” Psaki said after a reporter suggested that Biden was “passing the buck” by blaming Republicans.

Despite the apparent gridlock, there are signs that things might be changing.

Biden is moving ahead with several narrow executive actions, and there are new negotiations on Capitol Hill for an expansion of background checks — aided by the financial collapse of the National Rifle Association.

Among the most consequential actions so far is a personnel move: Biden has chosen David Chipman, a former federal law enforcement official, to be the new head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a battered agency tasked with enforcing existing federal gun laws and executive actions.

Over the years, NRA-allied lawmakers have handcuffed the ATF with the tightest restrictions imposed on any federal law enforcement agency, even banning the bureau from making gun tracing records searchable by computer.

The agency has been without a full-time director for much of the past 25 years because NRA-allied senators have quashed nominations by both Republican and Democratic administrations, arguing that a strong agency leader threatens the Second Amendment.

Chipman is an unapologetic proponent of expanding background checks, banning assault weapons again and unshackling ATF inspectors.

White House officials are hopeful he can garner as many as 52 votes for confirmation given the disgust over the recent shootings. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the most conservative Democrat on guns, has expressed tentative support, and two Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania, are open to the pick, according to Senate Republican aides with knowledge of their thinking.

On a parallel track, a dozen senators in both parties have quietly begun to negotiate a deal to expand background checks for gun purchases — a proposal that enjoys nearly 90% approval nationally in recent polls.

Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, both D-Conn., have been reaching out to Republicans in hopes of passing a narrower background check bill than the universal-checks measure passed by House Democrats earlier this year.

Biden, adopting a tone of disgust and frustration, unveiled two relatively modest executive actions last week: a 60-day review of homemade, unregistered “ghost guns” that is likely to lead to a ban, and a measure eliminating arm braces used to turn pistols into short-barreled rifles, a proposal rejected by the Trump administration.

Gun violence in America, he said at the time, was “an international embarrassment.”

President Joe Biden pledged to “do more” to address gun violence and implored Congress to act after a mass shooting in Indianapolis left eight people dead. But his administration, scrambling to respond to a new cycle of violence, rejected calls to appoint a gun czar to more forcefully confront the crisis.

President Joe Biden pledged to “do more” to address gun violence and implored Congress to act after a mass shooting in Indianapolis left eight people dead. But his administration, scrambling to respond to a new cycle of violence, rejected calls to appoint a gun czar to more forcefully confront the crisis. At a news conference Friday with the Japanese prime minister, Biden called gun violence across the country “a national embarrassment” and urged Senate Republicans to allow a vote on a gun control bill that has already passed the House. “This has to end,” he said. “Who in God’s name needs a weapon that can hold 100 rounds or 40 rounds or 20 rounds? It’s just wrong.” In an earlier statement, Biden said he had been briefed on the attack in Indianapolis on Thursday, in which “a lone gunman murdered eight people and wounded several more in the dark of night.” He ordered flags lowered to half-staff just two weeks after he had given a similar directive in response to massacres in Atlanta and Boulder, Colorado. “Gun violence is an epidemic in America,” he said. “But we should not accept it. We must act. We can, and must, do more to act and to save lives. God bless the eight fellow Americans we lost in Indianapolis and their loved ones, and we pray for the wounded for their recovery.” His press secretary, Jen Psaki, rejected suggestions that Biden appoint a gun czar, similar to the position he created to address the climate crisis. The White House argued that the main impediment to addressing the crisis was congressional Republicans, not a lack of will in the West Wing. “I would say that advocates should pressure Republicans in the Senate, that all of you should pressure Republicans in the Senate and ask them why they are opposing universal background checks,” Psaki said after a reporter suggested that Biden was “passing the buck” by blaming Republicans. Despite the apparent gridlock, there are signs that things might be changing. Biden is moving ahead with several narrow executive actions, and there are new negotiations on Capitol Hill for an expansion of background checks — aided by the financial collapse of the National Rifle Association. Among the most consequential actions so far is a personnel move: Biden has chosen David Chipman, a former federal law enforcement official, to be the new head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a battered agency tasked with enforcing existing federal gun laws and executive actions. Over the years, NRA-allied lawmakers have handcuffed the ATF with the tightest restrictions imposed on any federal law enforcement agency, even banning the bureau from making gun tracing records searchable by computer. The agency has been without a full-time director for much of the past 25 years because NRA-allied senators have quashed nominations by both Republican and Democratic administrations, arguing that a strong agency leader threatens the Second Amendment. Chipman is an unapologetic proponent of expanding background checks, banning assault weapons again and unshackling ATF inspectors. White House officials are hopeful he can garner as many as 52 votes for confirmation given the disgust over the recent shootings. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the most conservative Democrat on guns, has expressed tentative support, and two Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania, are open to the pick, according to Senate Republican aides with knowledge of their thinking. On a parallel track, a dozen senators in both parties have quietly begun to negotiate a deal to expand background checks for gun purchases — a proposal that enjoys nearly 90% approval nationally in recent polls. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, both D-Conn., have been reaching out to Republicans in hopes of passing a narrower background check bill than the universal-checks measure passed by House Democrats earlier this year. Biden, adopting a tone of disgust and frustration, unveiled two relatively modest executive actions last week: a 60-day review of homemade, unregistered “ghost guns” that is likely to lead to a ban, and a measure eliminating arm braces used to turn pistols into short-barreled rifles, a proposal rejected by the Trump administration. Gun violence in America, he said at the time, was “an international embarrassment.”

Biden vows to ‘do more’ to end gun violence but rejects calls to appoint a czar

US President Joe Biden's administration has unveiled initial actions to address the increasing gun violence within the nation. The US government has come up with six initial actions to curb gun violence and Biden announced moves that are designed to revamp the federal gun policy.

US President Joe Biden introduces limited gun control measures

US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> will soon be launching measures to curb the increasing gun violence in the country, with a special focus on ‘ghost guns’.

Ghost gun is a collective term used to refer to homemade firearms assembled or improvised from parts often bought online and&nbsp;lacking commercial serial numbers.

Since Biden took over the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/the-white-house">White House</a>, there has been an increase in gun violence-related incidents — something the US has been infamous for the past few years. Biden has come under extreme pressure from his Democratic party to tackle the gun reforms.

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After gun violence incidents in Colorado, Georgia and California, Biden is set to announce the nomination of David Chipman, a gun-control proponent for the post of the chief of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — a central agency in the fight against gun violence.

Biden is expected to issue six measures “to address the gun-violence health epidemic” by bringing in Chipman who went on to work for a gun control advocacy group and there is no one "better to enforce gun laws," a senior Biden administration official told reporters.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/all-adults-in-us-eligible-for-covid-19-vaccine-from-19-april-president-joe-biden-375785" hreflang="en">All adults in US eligible for COVID-19 vaccine from 19 April: President Joe Biden</a>

“Gun violence takes lives and leaves a lasting legacy of trauma in communities every single day in this country, even when it is not on the nightly news,” the White House said in a statement. “In fact, cities across the country are in the midst of a historic spike in homicides, violence that disproportionately impacts Black and brown Americans. The president is committed to taking action to reduce all forms of gun violence.”

Biden will be focusing more on ‘ghost guns’ which are homemade weapons as they cannot even be traced when found on crime scenes.

His other measures will include boosting support for agencies that are involved in tackling community violence and will order the first comprehensive report on firearms trafficking.

US President Joe Biden will soon be launching measures to curb the increasing gun violence in the country, with a special focus on ‘ghost guns’. Ghost gun is a collective term used to refer to homemade firearms assembled or improvised from parts often bought online and lacking commercial serial numbers.

US President Joe Biden will soon be launching measures to curb the increasing gun violence in the country, with a special focus on ‘ghost guns’. Ghost gun is a collective term used to refer to homemade firearms assembled or improvised from parts often bought online and lacking commercial serial numbers. Since Biden took over the White House, there has been an increase in gun violence-related incidents — something the US has been infamous for the past few years. Biden has come under extreme pressure from his Democratic party to tackle the gun reforms. Also read | White House aiming to create legal ways for Central Americans to migrate After gun violence incidents in Colorado, Georgia and California, Biden is set to announce the nomination of David Chipman, a gun-control proponent for the post of the chief of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — a central agency in the fight against gun violence. Biden is expected to issue six measures “to address the gun-violence health epidemic” by bringing in Chipman who went on to work for a gun control advocacy group and there is no one "better to enforce gun laws," a senior Biden administration official told reporters. Also read | All adults in US eligible for COVID-19 vaccine from 19 April: President Joe Biden “Gun violence takes lives and leaves a lasting legacy of trauma in communities every single day in this country, even when it is not on the nightly news,” the White House said in a statement. “In fact, cities across the country are in the midst of a historic spike in homicides, violence that disproportionately impacts Black and brown Americans. The president is committed to taking action to reduce all forms of gun violence.” Biden will be focusing more on ‘ghost guns’ which are homemade weapons as they cannot even be traced when found on crime scenes. His other measures will include boosting support for agencies that are involved in tackling community violence and will order the first comprehensive report on firearms trafficking.

Biden's order to target 'ghost guns' in reforms against increasing gun violence

WASHINGTON — Dr. Bindi J. Naik-Mathuria, a pediatric trauma surgeon at Texas Children’s Hospital who grew tired of seeing toddlers die of gunshot wounds, has a $684,000 federal grant to track every gun-related death and injury in Houston. The goal: identify and address “hot spots” the way public health researchers track and contain the coronavirus.

Dr. Garen J. Wintemute, an emergency room doctor and longtime firearm violence researcher in California, is supervising scientific research on whether community interventions in Detroit and Cleveland — including the greening of vacant spaces and the work of so-called violence interrupters like former gang members — can drive down gun-related deaths and injuries.

And Andrew R. Morral, a behavioral scientist at the RAND Corp., a research group, is using sophisticated modeling tools to estimate rates of gun ownership in every state, with detailed demographic information. The purpose, he said, is to search for patterns in firearm homicides and suicides — a first, basic step in research that could lead to reducing them.

The recent mass shootings in Atlanta and Boulder, Colorado, have once again left Democrats and Republicans in a stalemate over background checks for gun buyers and assault weapons bans. But public health experts say a new round of research could pave the way for gun policies that avoid partisan gridlock — and ultimately save thousands of lives.

The studies by Naik-Mathuria and the others are being paid for by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is once again funding research into gun violence after a nearly 25-year hiatus imposed by Congress. And while they might not reduce the number of massacres, mass shootings account for an extremely small percentage of the roughly 40,000 Americans who die each year from gun violence.

“There’s at least five different gun violence problems in the country, and mass shooting is one of them,” said Morral, who has a doctorate in psychology. “There’s also suicide; there’s urban gun violence, which mostly affects minority young men; there’s family shootings; and there’s police shootings. And they all have different risk factors, they all have very different motives, and they often involve different firearms.”

Like cancer, there is no single cure for the epidemic of gun violence in the United States. If politicians want to make a difference, experts say, lawmakers need to quit the fruitless fights over whether liberals want to take people’s guns away and start financing — and listening to — research that could inform policies that could address the carnage.

“It’s not either, ‘Keep your guns or prevent gun violence,’” said Dr. Mark Rosenberg, who helped establish the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control but said he was fired in the late 1990s under pressure from Republicans who opposed the center’s gun research. “There’s a strategy that science can help us define where you can do both — you can protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners and at the very same time reduce the toll of gun violence.”

Federal money for gun research all but disappeared after Congress in 1996 enacted the so-called Dickey Amendment, which barred the CDC from spending money to “advocate or promote gun control.” It was named for Jay Dickey, a former Republican House member from Arkansas, who proudly proclaimed himself the National Rifle Administration’s “point man” in Washington.

In an extraordinary turn of events, Dickey, who died in 2017, befriended the man whose work he had cut off, Rosenberg. The pair grew so close that Rosenberg gave the eulogy at Dickey’s funeral.

In 2019, Rosenberg and Dickey’s ex-wife, Betty, a retired former prosecutor and chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, helped persuade Congress to restore the funding; lawmakers appropriated $25 million, split between the CDC and the National Institutes of Health, for firearm injury prevention research.

The agencies are now financing nearly two dozen studies, though backers of the research say the money is a pittance compared to the breadth of the problem.

“Millions of dollars have been put forth trying to figure out how do we eradicate cancer; we’ve got to be able to do the same with gun violence,” said Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., who won election in 2018 by promising to end gun violence after her 17-year-old son was shot and killed.

“We’ve got to be able to give the CDC and the NIH the ability to study the implications and get that raw data, the grave implications of gun violence,” she added, “just like we do in any other public health crisis.”

Treating gun violence as a public health problem is not a new idea. In 1991, Rosenberg’s program awarded a research grant to an investigator who published a landmark study in The New England Journal of Medicine that found having a gun in the home tripled the risk of gun homicides and quintupled the risk of gun suicides.

After it was published, the National Rifle Association took aim. The Dickey Amendment was a compromise between Democrats who wanted more research and Republicans who wanted to shut down Rosenberg’s center.

Research on the effectiveness of gun policies is scant, and much of it is not rigorous enough to either prove or disprove that any of the legislation being debated in Washington would do any good, said Morral, who directs RAND’s National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research and has done a comprehensive analysis of the serious scientific literature.

The existing research suggests that one policy under consideration in Congress — expanding background checks — could make a difference. RAND has found “moderately good evidence that the current background checks system is helpful” in reducing violent crime, Morral said, and so “it seems logical to think that background checks on all sales might help more.”

There is also moderately good evidence, RAND found, that waiting periods for gun purchases reduce both suicide and violent crime. And there is strong — or what RAND calls “supportive” — evidence that laws requiring guns to be safely stored away from children reduce firearm injuries and deaths among young people.

But while President Joe Biden has claimed that the federal assault weapons ban that lasted from 1994 to 2004 “brought down these mass killings,” the evidence of that is unclear. There are only a handful of studies, Morral said, and they do not “persuasively show a causal effect” — not because there is not one, he said, but because of shortcomings in the study design.

After the recent development of coronavirus vaccines highlighted the importance of scientific research, Rosenberg said, the public is primed to accept the argument that gun violence research can save lives. He likened it to the hundreds of millions of dollars the federal government poured into studying motor vehicle deaths in the 1970s and ’80s, which led to safety measures like seat belt requirements and lower speed limits, saving millions of lives.

That was the argument he used to help persuade Congress to appropriate money for gun violence research in 2019. The research itself was never banned outright, and in 2013, weeks after the massacre that killed 26 people at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, President Barack Obama directed the CDC to reconsider funding studies on gun violence.

The agency commissioned a report from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council outlining priorities, but little changed. By 2019, after Democrats reclaimed the House, liberal organizations like MoveOn.org were petitioning Congress to repeal the Dickey Amendment. Nearly every House Democrat signed on.

But Rosenberg argued it should remain intact to “provide cover for Republicans and gun-loving Democrats who can put money into the science and tell their constituents, ‘This is not money for gun control.’”

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who led the House subcommittee that oversaw the CDC’s budget at the time, said she put $50 million into the appropriations bill that year, but the Senate, controlled by Republicans, eliminated it. The two chambers agreed on $25 million as a compromise, but she said she hoped to double the funding this year.

Naik-Mathuria, the Houston trauma surgeon, said she would like to see Washington address the problem of gun violence as a matter of injury prevention, not politics. She began researching methods to reduce gun violence about six years ago, she said, after seeing “kids come in dead because they shot themselves in the head when they found a gun at home.”

Her current study is aimed at determining risk factors for gun violence for children and adults, and her past work has led to some changes in medical practice, she said.

Pediatricians in Texas, she said, are hesitant to talk about gun safety out of concern that “it would anger parents or become political.” So she and her group made a broader safety video that tucked in messages about gun safety — like keeping guns locked and stored — with tips like how to keep children away from poison.

Wintemute, who directs the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, said he lost grant money after the Dickey Amendment was enacted. In the two decades that followed, he said, his work has been supported by the state of California; foundations; the NIH, which was not specifically named in the Dickey Amendment; and the Justice Department. He said he had also spent a little more than $2 million of his own money to continue the work.

His program is receiving $744,000 from the CDC this year to finance three studies. The new funding from the agency, he said, is drawing young scientists to the work.

Still, he laments the time that has been lost.

“It’s as if we had decided, ‘Let’s not do research on coronavirus. Let’s not do research on cancer or heart disease. Let’s just let this problem run its course,’” he said. “How many thousands of people are dead who would be alive today if that research had been allowed to continue 25 years ago?”

WASHINGTON — Dr. Bindi J. Naik-Mathuria, a pediatric trauma surgeon at Texas Children’s Hospital who grew tired of seeing toddlers die of gunshot wounds, has a $684,000 federal grant to track every gun-related death and injury in Houston.

WASHINGTON — Dr. Bindi J. Naik-Mathuria, a pediatric trauma surgeon at Texas Children’s Hospital who grew tired of seeing toddlers die of gunshot wounds, has a $684,000 federal grant to track every gun-related death and injury in Houston. The goal: identify and address “hot spots” the way public health researchers track and contain the coronavirus. Dr. Garen J. Wintemute, an emergency room doctor and longtime firearm violence researcher in California, is supervising scientific research on whether community interventions in Detroit and Cleveland — including the greening of vacant spaces and the work of so-called violence interrupters like former gang members — can drive down gun-related deaths and injuries. And Andrew R. Morral, a behavioral scientist at the RAND Corp., a research group, is using sophisticated modeling tools to estimate rates of gun ownership in every state, with detailed demographic information. The purpose, he said, is to search for patterns in firearm homicides and suicides — a first, basic step in research that could lead to reducing them. The recent mass shootings in Atlanta and Boulder, Colorado, have once again left Democrats and Republicans in a stalemate over background checks for gun buyers and assault weapons bans. But public health experts say a new round of research could pave the way for gun policies that avoid partisan gridlock — and ultimately save thousands of lives. The studies by Naik-Mathuria and the others are being paid for by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is once again funding research into gun violence after a nearly 25-year hiatus imposed by Congress. And while they might not reduce the number of massacres, mass shootings account for an extremely small percentage of the roughly 40,000 Americans who die each year from gun violence. “There’s at least five different gun violence problems in the country, and mass shooting is one of them,” said Morral, who has a doctorate in psychology. “There’s also suicide; there’s urban gun violence, which mostly affects minority young men; there’s family shootings; and there’s police shootings. And they all have different risk factors, they all have very different motives, and they often involve different firearms.” Like cancer, there is no single cure for the epidemic of gun violence in the United States. If politicians want to make a difference, experts say, lawmakers need to quit the fruitless fights over whether liberals want to take people’s guns away and start financing — and listening to — research that could inform policies that could address the carnage. “It’s not either, ‘Keep your guns or prevent gun violence,’” said Dr. Mark Rosenberg, who helped establish the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control but said he was fired in the late 1990s under pressure from Republicans who opposed the center’s gun research. “There’s a strategy that science can help us define where you can do both — you can protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners and at the very same time reduce the toll of gun violence.” Federal money for gun research all but disappeared after Congress in 1996 enacted the so-called Dickey Amendment, which barred the CDC from spending money to “advocate or promote gun control.” It was named for Jay Dickey, a former Republican House member from Arkansas, who proudly proclaimed himself the National Rifle Administration’s “point man” in Washington. In an extraordinary turn of events, Dickey, who died in 2017, befriended the man whose work he had cut off, Rosenberg. The pair grew so close that Rosenberg gave the eulogy at Dickey’s funeral. In 2019, Rosenberg and Dickey’s ex-wife, Betty, a retired former prosecutor and chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, helped persuade Congress to restore the funding; lawmakers appropriated $25 million, split between the CDC and the National Institutes of Health, for firearm injury prevention research. The agencies are now financing nearly two dozen studies, though backers of the research say the money is a pittance compared to the breadth of the problem. “Millions of dollars have been put forth trying to figure out how do we eradicate cancer; we’ve got to be able to do the same with gun violence,” said Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., who won election in 2018 by promising to end gun violence after her 17-year-old son was shot and killed. “We’ve got to be able to give the CDC and the NIH the ability to study the implications and get that raw data, the grave implications of gun violence,” she added, “just like we do in any other public health crisis.” Treating gun violence as a public health problem is not a new idea. In 1991, Rosenberg’s program awarded a research grant to an investigator who published a landmark study in The New England Journal of Medicine that found having a gun in the home tripled the risk of gun homicides and quintupled the risk of gun suicides. After it was published, the National Rifle Association took aim. The Dickey Amendment was a compromise between Democrats who wanted more research and Republicans who wanted to shut down Rosenberg’s center. Research on the effectiveness of gun policies is scant, and much of it is not rigorous enough to either prove or disprove that any of the legislation being debated in Washington would do any good, said Morral, who directs RAND’s National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research and has done a comprehensive analysis of the serious scientific literature. The existing research suggests that one policy under consideration in Congress — expanding background checks — could make a difference. RAND has found “moderately good evidence that the current background checks system is helpful” in reducing violent crime, Morral said, and so “it seems logical to think that background checks on all sales might help more.” There is also moderately good evidence, RAND found, that waiting periods for gun purchases reduce both suicide and violent crime. And there is strong — or what RAND calls “supportive” — evidence that laws requiring guns to be safely stored away from children reduce firearm injuries and deaths among young people. But while President Joe Biden has claimed that the federal assault weapons ban that lasted from 1994 to 2004 “brought down these mass killings,” the evidence of that is unclear. There are only a handful of studies, Morral said, and they do not “persuasively show a causal effect” — not because there is not one, he said, but because of shortcomings in the study design. After the recent development of coronavirus vaccines highlighted the importance of scientific research, Rosenberg said, the public is primed to accept the argument that gun violence research can save lives. He likened it to the hundreds of millions of dollars the federal government poured into studying motor vehicle deaths in the 1970s and ’80s, which led to safety measures like seat belt requirements and lower speed limits, saving millions of lives. That was the argument he used to help persuade Congress to appropriate money for gun violence research in 2019. The research itself was never banned outright, and in 2013, weeks after the massacre that killed 26 people at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, President Barack Obama directed the CDC to reconsider funding studies on gun violence. The agency commissioned a report from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council outlining priorities, but little changed. By 2019, after Democrats reclaimed the House, liberal organizations like MoveOn.org were petitioning Congress to repeal the Dickey Amendment. Nearly every House Democrat signed on. But Rosenberg argued it should remain intact to “provide cover for Republicans and gun-loving Democrats who can put money into the science and tell their constituents, ‘This is not money for gun control.’” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who led the House subcommittee that oversaw the CDC’s budget at the time, said she put $50 million into the appropriations bill that year, but the Senate, controlled by Republicans, eliminated it. The two chambers agreed on $25 million as a compromise, but she said she hoped to double the funding this year. Naik-Mathuria, the Houston trauma surgeon, said she would like to see Washington address the problem of gun violence as a matter of injury prevention, not politics. She began researching methods to reduce gun violence about six years ago, she said, after seeing “kids come in dead because they shot themselves in the head when they found a gun at home.” Her current study is aimed at determining risk factors for gun violence for children and adults, and her past work has led to some changes in medical practice, she said. Pediatricians in Texas, she said, are hesitant to talk about gun safety out of concern that “it would anger parents or become political.” So she and her group made a broader safety video that tucked in messages about gun safety — like keeping guns locked and stored — with tips like how to keep children away from poison. Wintemute, who directs the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, said he lost grant money after the Dickey Amendment was enacted. In the two decades that followed, he said, his work has been supported by the state of California; foundations; the NIH, which was not specifically named in the Dickey Amendment; and the Justice Department. He said he had also spent a little more than $2 million of his own money to continue the work. His program is receiving $744,000 from the CDC this year to finance three studies. The new funding from the agency, he said, is drawing young scientists to the work. Still, he laments the time that has been lost. “It’s as if we had decided, ‘Let’s not do research on coronavirus. Let’s not do research on cancer or heart disease. Let’s just let this problem run its course,’” he said. “How many thousands of people are dead who would be alive today if that research had been allowed to continue 25 years ago?”

Can new gun violence research find a path around the political stalemate?

Hours after shootings at three different spas and massage parlors killing six Asian women, the US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> has condemned violence against Asian Americans.

Talking about the incident and several other similar incidents in the past, Biden said the recent attacks against the Asian-Americans is "very troublesome".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-eyes-next-stage-of-covid-19-fight-slams-attacks-on-asian-americans-during-pandemic-369816">Biden eyes next stage of Covid-19 fight, slams attacks on Asian-Americans during pandemic</a>

"I know that Asian Americans are very concerned because, as you know, I've been speaking about the brutality against Asian-Americans for the last couple of months," he said in an interview. "I think that it is very, very troublesome."

However, he also stressed that while the shootings are troublesome, the motivation of these are not yet confirmed.

The local authorities have taken a 21-year-old male in custody on suspicion of the shootings, but have not confirmed it to be racially motivated yet.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-fineprint-8-people-killed-at-3-massage-parlors-in-atlanta-suspect-arrested-371221">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-fineprint-8-people-killed-at-3-massage-parlors-in-atlanta-suspect-arrested-371221/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"This is still early, but (the suspect) does claim it was not racially motivated," Captain Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said.

Biden's statement has come a little after his fellow Democrat and former US President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/barack-obama">Barack Obama</a> took to Twitter to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/obama-condemns-rising-anti-asian-violence-after-atlanta-shooting-371224">condemn these killings.</a>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Even as we’ve battled the pandemic, we’ve continued to neglect the longer-lasting epidemic of gun violence in America. Although the shooter’s motive is not yet clear, the identity of the victims underscores an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence that must end.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1372191746583629827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"Although the shooter's motive is not yet clear, the identity of the victims underscores an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence that must end," Obama tweeted.

He also reminded people about the rising cases of gun violence in the country. "Even as we’ve battled the pandemic, we’ve continued to neglect the longer-lasting epidemic of gun violence in America," he said.

Hours after shootings at three different spas and massage parlors killing six Asian women, the US President Joe Biden has condemned violence against Asian Americans.

Hours after shootings at three different spas and massage parlors killing six Asian women, the US President Joe Biden has condemned violence against Asian Americans. Talking about the incident and several other similar incidents in the past, Biden said the recent attacks against the Asian-Americans is "very troublesome". Also read | Biden eyes next stage of Covid-19 fight, slams attacks on Asian-Americans during pandemic "I know that Asian Americans are very concerned because, as you know, I've been speaking about the brutality against Asian-Americans for the last couple of months," he said in an interview. "I think that it is very, very troublesome." However, he also stressed that while the shootings are troublesome, the motivation of these are not yet confirmed. The local authorities have taken a 21-year-old male in custody on suspicion of the shootings, but have not confirmed it to be racially motivated yet. Watch | "This is still early, but (the suspect) does claim it was not racially motivated," Captain Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said. Biden's statement has come a little after his fellow Democrat and former US President Barack Obama took to Twitter to condemn these killings. Even as we’ve battled the pandemic, we’ve continued to neglect the longer-lasting epidemic of gun violence in America. Although the shooter’s motive is not yet clear, the identity of the victims underscores an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence that must end. — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 17, 2021 × "Although the shooter's motive is not yet clear, the identity of the victims underscores an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence that must end," Obama tweeted. He also reminded people about the rising cases of gun violence in the country. "Even as we’ve battled the pandemic, we’ve continued to neglect the longer-lasting epidemic of gun violence in America," he said.

Violence against Asian Americans 'very troublesome', says Biden after Atlanta shootings

Police in Florida`s Miami-Dade County said late on Sunday that they were investigating two separate shootings in which 12 people were wounded. 
 
The first shooting occurred in Little River Park at 7:07 p.m. (0007 GMT), according to authorities. 
 
NBC News reported that two unidentified gunmen started shooting at people near a basketball court. Eight people were wounded in that shooting, including six who were critically injured. 
 
Four people were wounded in a separate shooting in Allapattah, police said. The victims were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital Ryder Trauma Center in stable condition. 
 
"My officers are on the scene of another tragic shooting involving juveniles. This type of gun violence has to end", Alfredo Ramirez, director of the Miami-Dade County Police Department, said on Twitter. 
 
&nbsp;

Police in Florida`s Miami-Dade County said late on Sunday that they were investigating two separate shootings in which 12 people were wounded. The first shooting occurred in Little River Park at 7:07 p.

Police in Florida`s Miami-Dade County said late on Sunday that they were investigating two separate shootings in which 12 people were wounded. The first shooting occurred in Little River Park at 7:07 p.m. (0007 GMT), according to authorities. NBC News reported that two unidentified gunmen started shooting at people near a basketball court. Eight people were wounded in that shooting, including six who were critically injured. Four people were wounded in a separate shooting in Allapattah, police said. The victims were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital Ryder Trauma Center in stable condition. "My officers are on the scene of another tragic shooting involving juveniles. This type of gun violence has to end", Alfredo Ramirez, director of the Miami-Dade County Police Department, said on Twitter.

Two shootings in Florida's Miami-Dade County leave 12 wounded

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