Biden says 'enough' after another mass shooting in US
Oct 14, 2022
Washington [US], October 15 : US President Joe Biden on Friday expressed his anguish over the recent gun violence in Raleigh, North Carolina that left five people dead and two wounded.
"Enough. We've grieved and prayed with too many families who have had to bear the terrible burden of these mass shootings," Biden said in a statement.
Condemning the latest mass shooting in America, he said that there is so much gun violence that many killings do not even make the news anymore.
The suspect in the shooting incident in Raleigh city was arrested in Georgia by police officials, media reports said.
The suspect detained in the case is only 15 years old.
"The suspect is contained, but please stay tuned to Raleigh Police Department, as they are the investigating agency for this incident," the city of Knightdale tweeted.
"This is a sad and tragic day for the city of Raleigh," city Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin was quoted as saying by CNN.
"We must stop this mindless violence in America," Baldwin said during a press conference as she announced the toll of the shooting incident. US media reports said two people were taken to a hospital, one of whom was a police officer.
Meanwhile, a US federal judge temporarily struck down key parts of a new law in New York that governs gun licensing earlier.
Judge Glenn T Suddaby of the US District Court for the Northern District of New York said the state has "further reduced a first-class constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defence" into a mere "request."
He said that several law provisions had no historical justification, a controversial requirement put forward by the high court last spring, reported CNN.
The law was enacted in the wake of a Supreme Court decision earlier this summer striking down certain protections.
Among the provisions of the New York law that the state cannot enforce is one that defines Times Square as a "gun-free zone." The law is aimed at placing restrictions on carrying a concealed handgun outside the home, reported CNN.
Back then, Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for a 6-3 court, said that a state had to justify regulation by demonstrating that the law is "consistent with this Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation."
Regarding Times Square, Suddaby cited the Supreme Court decision and said that it "might be argued" that historical statutes banning the carrying of guns in "fairs or markets" are analogous to the current law. But, he said, he had only found two such laws.
"Two statutes do not make a tradition," he wrote.
Critics correctly predicted that the Supreme Court decision - the most comprehensive expansion of gun rights in a decade - would trigger new challenges to gun regulations across the country, reported CNN.
The plaintiffs, including at least one individual who wants to carry his firearm in church, argue the state is violating their Second and 14th Amendment rights by denying them the right to self-defence.
They have already filed for a preliminary injunction with Suddaby in order to eventually prohibit the state from enforcing its new set of laws.
The judge's decision nods to the fact that carrying a handgun in public is generally protected by the Constitution, reported CNN.
The law, which went into effect in September, was signed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, as a swift response to the Supreme Court striking down New York's gun law that required a resident to obtain a license to carry a concealed pistol or revolver in public and demonstrate that "proper cause" existed for the permit.
The law enacts a strict permitting process for concealed-carry licenses and requires background checks for ammunition sales. It also restricts the concealed carry of firearms in locations such as government buildings.