Joe Biden lashes out at bereaved Parkland shooting victim's father on being heckled at WH

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday lashed out at an attendee when he was interrupted between an address during the new gun law "celebratory" event at the White House. "Sit down...you have to listen to this," Biden said when Manuel Oliver- bereaved father of a 17-year-old victim of gun violence -  countered the American President, saying the reformed federal gun safety laws were "not enough." Manuel snapped back at Biden, saying, "You have to do more than that."

Biden was delivering his speech on the South Lawn of the White House in celebration of the bipartisan firearm policy legislation signed last month in presence of the kins of gun violence victims. "You have to do more...open an office in the White House...," Oliver yelled at Biden even after being asked to "sit down" by the President himself. According to US-based media reports, Oliver lost his 17-year-old son Joaquin on February 14, 2018, during the gun massacre in Marjory Stoneman Douglas School in Parkland, Florida.

Victim's father escorted out of White House

"I have been trying to tell you this for years! And years," Oliver went on to interject. "We have one (office in the White House). Let me finish my comments first," Biden said in response. However, the US President quickly relented when his officials tried to pacify Oliver. "Let him talk, let him talk, OK," Biden said. But it was already too late, shortly after the alleged "heckling", Biden's security escorted Oliver out of the South Lawn as Biden continued with his speech."Make no mistake about it his legislation is real progress," the US President said, acknowledging that "more needs to be done" to mitigate future threats of gun assault in the country.

According to the New York Post, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later told the press that Biden separately met with Oliver before the event and "agrees with him ...that we need to do more." However, Jean-Pierre added that she was unaware of the details of discussions between Oliver and the president.

Before the "celebrations", Oliver took to Twitter and objected the idea, stating that there is "no space" for the word in society after 19 children were killed in Uvalde school just a month ago. Following the lawn incident, he joined the shooting survivors' families at a presser held by Guns Down America. "I just told the president...you cannot be polite with gun violence, because gun violence is not polite with you," the NY Post quoted him as saying during the conference.

US gun control law

Passed after massacres in Buffalo, New York, Texas, and Illinois, the gun control law tightens provisions for youngsters buying a gun. In addition, it also revokes permission to issue guns to citizens with a history of domestic abuse. The new laws allow local authorities to confiscate guns if an individual is deemed "dangerous."

(Image: AP)