"Sick": Biden implores Congress to pass weapons ban in aftermath of Nashville shooting

United States President Joe Biden, on Monday, referred to the recent school shooting in Nashville that resulted in the deaths of six individuals, including three children, as "sick." He further emphasised that gun violence was a critical issue in the US and that the country needed to take more action to address it. Biden added that gun violence was "ripping the soul of this nation”. The president's comments came after the shooting incident that occurred at Covenant School in Nashville.

In addition to emphasising the need to address gun violence in the US, President Joe Biden also urged Congress to pass an assault weapons ban. He cited reports that the shooter in Nashville had two assault weapons and a pistol. Biden's call for an assault weapons ban is part of his broader push for gun control legislation, which he has repeatedly emphasised since taking office.

I call on Congress again to pass my assault weapons ban.

It's about time we make some more progress. pic.twitter.com/ZE584cUN6R

— President Biden (@POTUS)

While addressing the Small Business Administration Women's Business Summit, Biden said: "It's just sick. You know, we're still gathering the facts of what happened and why. And we do know that, as of now, there are a number of people who are not going to, did not make it, including children. And it's heartbreaking. A family's worst nightmare." 

The US president lauded police for responding within minutes to end the danger. He said: "We're monitoring the situation really closely Ben, as you know and we have to do more to stop gun violence. It's ripping our communities apart, ripping the soul of this nation, ripping at the very soul of the nation. And we have to do more to protect our schools so they aren't turned into prisons."

Biden said, "the shooter in this situation reportedly had two assault weapons and a pistol. So I call on Congress, again, to pass my assault weapons ban. It's about time that we begin to make some more progress."

The Biden-led White House also issued a proclamation ordering "that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, March 31, 2023".

The Covenant School shooting at Nashville, Tennesse

According to police, a former student meticulously planned a shooting at The Covenant School, a Christian elementary school in Nashville, and carried out the attack, killing three children and three adults. The shooter had created a detailed map and conducted surveillance of the building before opening fire through the school's doors.

This incident is the latest in a string of mass shootings in the US that have deeply troubled the nation, particularly when it comes to violence in schools. The victims of the attack included three nine-year-old children, the school's top administrator, a substitute teacher, and a custodian. As is often the case with such tragedies, parents frantically rushed to the school to check on their children's safety, and the community was left in shock, planning vigils for the victims.

“I was literally moved to tears to see this and the kids as they were being ushered out of the building,” Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said Monday during one of several news conferences, according to AP. 

Police initially provided unclear information about the shooter's gender. They identified the shooter as a 28-year-old woman named Audrey Hale, but later clarified during a press conference that the individual was transgender, without providing further details. Police spokesperson Don Aaron did not provide any additional information on how the shooter currently identified.

When asked about the shooter's motive, Police Chief John Drake did not provide specific details but revealed that the shooter had conducted surveillance of the school and had a detailed map of the building. This suggested that the shooting was premeditated and planned in advance.

“We have a manifesto, we have some writings that we’re going over that pertain to this date, the actual incident,” he said. “We have a map drawn out of how this was all going to take place,” he added.

The victims were identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all 9 years old, and adults Cynthia Peak, 61; Katherine Koonce, 60; and Mike Hill, 61.

The school's president told CNN that shooter Audrey Hale graduated from Nossi College of Art & Design in Nashville last year.