In Lewiston, Biden Observes ‘Painful Wounds’ Opened By But One other Mass Capturing

President Joe Biden on Friday visited Lewiston, Maine, the location of a mass capturing final month that killed 18 folks and injured 13 extra ― the deadliest in state historical past.

“This is about common-sense, reasonable and responsible measures to protect our children, our families, our communities,” Biden mentioned. “Because regardless of our politics, this is about protecting our freedom to go to a bowling alley, a restaurant, a school, a church, without being shot and killed.”

He continued: “As we mourn today in Maine, this tragedy opens painful, painful wounds all across the country. Too many Americans have lost loved ones or survived the trauma of gun violence. I know because Jill and I have met with them in Buffalo, in Uvalde, in Monterey Park, in Sandy Hook ― too many to count. From places that never make the news, all across America.”

White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spoke about Biden’s emotions forward of the journey Friday.

“Too many times the president and first lady have traveled to communities completely torn apart by gun violence,” she mentioned. “We can’t accept it as normal.”

Earlier than the deal with, Biden and the primary woman met with first responders, nurses and others on the entrance strains of the violence.

Shooter Robert Card was recognized to authorities, lots of whom face mounting scrutiny within the aftermath.

Card, a U.S. Military reservist, beforehand and repeatedly threatened different troopers, together with making a menace to “shoot up” a navy base, and was dedicated to a psychological well being facility for 2 weeks this summer time.

The Maine Nationwide Guard had additionally alerted the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Workplace to Card’s habits, mentioning specifically considerations that Card would “snap and commit a mass shooting.”

Regardless of these alerts, police didn’t use their authority to grab Card’s firearms below a “yellow flag” legislation within the state.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has referred to as for legislation enforcement to make larger use of the legislation, saying that in hindsight it was apparent “he should have been separated from his weapons.”

“It certainly seems that on the basis of the facts that we have that the yellow flag law should have been triggered if in fact the suspect was hospitalized for two weeks for mental illness,” Collins mentioned. “That should have triggered the yellow flag law, and he should have been separated from his weapons.”