President Biden visits Monterey Park to discuss gun violence, desires to regulate guns

Recently, the nation has mourned the loss of lives as a result of the Nashville school shooting, which took place on March 25 and has sparked the bigger conversation of school shootings in the country. Photos by LISA WONG, video & podcast editor 

Following the Monterey Park shooting in January, President Joe Biden paid tribute to the victims and met their families as part of a larger goal to combat gun violence across the country.

Before Biden’s March 14 speech, the president signed an executive order regarding gun sales and background checks looking into if a person has a concerning or criminal record when buying a gun. These efforts are also to raise “red flag” laws, which prevent “possibly threatening people” from having access to a firearm. 

President Joe Biden recently visited Monterey Park to honor the victims of the Jan. 21 shooting.

Po Murray, the chairperson of the Newtown Action Alliance — a volunteer nonprofit that formed after the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting — gave her thoughts on the gun violence that has transpired in the U.S. and how these situations have been handled.

"It's so tragic that these moments of celebration end up being moments of despair and destruction," Murray said to ABC News. "It's unfortunate that we're being attacked on a daily basis and Congress is sitting idle with no sense of urgency. Particularly when guns are now the number leading cause of death for our children and teens."

Recently, the nation has mourned the loss of lives as a result of the Nashville school shooting, which took place on March 25 and has sparked the bigger conversation of school shootings in the country.

Katrina Wysokinski, a sophomore health science major at Chapman University, shared her thoughts on gun violence in the U.S.

“I think there should be more action against problems like this because school is meant for getting an education and not having to worry about whether you will make it back home that same day,” Wysokinski said. “I believe that it is essential to take action to protect students from gun violence so students can feel safe coming to their campuses.”

Despite the efforts to lower gun violence, the nation has increased accessibility concealed carry guns, which means that a person can have a firearm on them that is not visible, according to a Supreme Court ruling from this past summer due to a large demand for more permits. The results of this case resulted in the permitting of more people to carry these forms of weapons.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom put out a June 23, 2022 statement when this ruling was passed, regarding what this would mean for the future of the state.

“Make no mistake: this is a radical decision,” Newsom wrote. “Today’s Court thinks that gun regulations should be frozen in time, and that if there wasn’t a similar law in existence in the 1700s or 1800s, then a state can’t pass it now, no matter how important it is to protect people from the modern horror of gun violence.”