Biden calls on Congress to address gun ‘epidemic’ after mass shooting

US President Joe Biden has again called on Congress to pass a ban on the possession and use of firearms following the latest mass shooting in the country that saw an assailant killing as many as eight people at a shopping mall in Allen, Texas.

“Eight Americans — including children — were killed yesterday in the latest act of gun violence to devastate our nation,” Biden said in a statement on Sunday.

He repeated his call on the lawmakers to help end the gun “epidemic” that has been taking its toll on the country.

“Once again, I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines,” Biden said, adding, “I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe.”

He also demanded that lawmakers require universal background checks for gun purchases and end legal immunity for manufacturers’ whose weapons are used in attacks.

The Saturday incident saw a lone gunman entering the Allen Premium Outlets mall before starting to fire his weapon randomly at the people there.

Seven others were also wounded during the shooting, three of whom were in critical condition as of Sunday morning, the Allen Police Department said.

A video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot as gunfire could be heard in the background, while aerial footage of the scene also showed a large group of people walking out of the mall as scores of police stood guard.

Firearms outnumber the population in the United States, where the number of victims of gun violence are higher than any developed country.

The US has already endured more than 200 mass shootings this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-governmental organization.

A Gallup poll from October 2022 showed that a 57% majority of all Americans saying they wanted stricter laws covering the sale of firearms.