Biden calls for gun control after Juneteenth weekend shootings nationwide leave 6 dead, at least 22 injured
President Joe Biden and gun rights leaders are calling on Congress to act after Juneteenth celebrations this year became marked by mass shootings around the country, leaving at least six people dead and at least 22 injured.
After news of a suburban Chicago shooting broke, Brady, a group working to end gun violence, described it on Twitter as “a horrific reminder that Black Americans are not truly free if living in fear of being shot.”
In a written statement, Kris Brown, the organization’s president, said, “Americans are fed up of waking up every morning to news of yet another mass shooting. While details of this shooting are still scarce, it is the latest in a growing trend of regular mass shootings in this country.
“In just the past few months, we’ve experienced mass shootings at a doctor’s office, a mall, a basketball game, outside a high school graduation and now at a Juneteenth celebration.”
Shortly before 12:30 a.m. Sunday in Willowbrook, Ill., gunfire erupted in a parking lot during a Juneteenth event, which left one person dead and 22 others injured, Dupage County Deputy Sheriff Eric Swanson said at a news conference Sunday.
It’s not clear how many suspects police are searching for. As of Monday afternoon, no one has been arrested in the case.
Similar scenes unfolded in Southern California, North Carolina, Washington State, St. Louis and Pennsylvania, where a state trooper was killed.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 19 mass shootings over the weekend. In San Diego, 20-year-old Jonathan Pullum, a Black man, was killed after a fight broke out during a Juneteenth event at Liberty Station Park Saturday, leading an unknown suspect to fire at him.
One other person was injured, police said, adding that the individual’s injuries were not life-threatening.
Pullum’s father, Terrance Pullum, launched a GoFundMe page to raise $7,500 to cover his son’s funeral costs.
He said he’s asking for help covering the expenses because he had not taken a life insurance policy out for his son, adding that his son’s life was “cut short by a coward.”
So far, the page has raised just over $4,000.
In Asheville, N.C., a two-day Juneteenth festival was cut short after two minors were shot during the first day’s festivities Saturday, according to The Charlotte Observer.
A news release published by the city on Facebook instructed individuals to pick up items left behind at Pack Square Park after 10 a.m. Sunday, while announcing that the second day of the festival was canceled.
“We’re terribly sorry and sad for the inconvenience after having such a wonderful day of bringing communities together,” a statement published on Facebook read.
A 16-year-old was arrested in connection with the incident, according to the newspaper.
In a statement posted to Twitter, Biden called on Congress to respond to the shootings.
“Congress needs to act on gun safety,” he said. “And let me be very clear about something. If this Congress refuses to act, then we need a new Congress.”