Biden denounces wave of shootings around July 4
US President Joe Biden called again on Tuesday for stricter gun control measures while denouncing a wave of shootings that overshadowed Independence Day. Five people were killed and four wounded in a shooting in Philadelphia on Monday night, police said. Another shooting overnight in Fort Worth, Texas, claimed the lives of three and injured eight, CNN reported. And as of Tuesday afternoon, the country had already seen multiple shootings on Independence Day. Five were injured in Lansing, Michigan, and four hurt in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA). Another shooting in Akron, Ohio, which police responded to in the early morning hours of Tuesday, left four injured, according to local media. "Over the last few days, our nation has once again endured a wave of tragic and senseless shootings in communities across America," Biden said in a statement, mentioning the shootings in Philadelphia, Fort Worth, and Lansing, as well as recent instances of gun violence in Baltimore, Wichita, Kansas and Chicago. "As our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence," the president said. At a Fourth of July parade last year in Highland Park, Illinois, just outside Chicago, a gunman killed seven and wounded dozens. This year, the suburb planned a remembrance ceremony in lieu of a parade and traditional festivities, officials said. "In mere moments, this day of patriotic pride became a scene of pain and tragedy," Biden said in reference to the shooting's anniversary. In Philadelphia, police said they had apprehended the shooter, though his motive remained unknown. "We have absolutely no idea why this happened," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. (AFP)