President Biden: Nashville school shooting ‘a family’s worst nightmare’

President Biden called the deadly school shooting in Nashville that left three kids and three adults dead “sick,” “heartbreaking” and “a family’s worst nightmare” before calling for legislative action to address gun violence.

“We have to do more to stop gun violence. It’s ripping our communities apart. It’s ripping at the very soul of the nation. We have to do more to protect our schools so they aren’t turned into prisons,” Biden said ahead of speaking at at a Small Business Administration Women’s Business Summit.

Biden also commended local law enforcement for intervening in the shooting “within minutes.”

The president, who had earlier been briefed on the shooting, noted the assailant used two assault weapons and a handgun and called for a legislative response to the violence.

“I call on Congress again to pass my assault weapon ban. It’s about time we begin to make some progress, but there’s more to learn,” Biden said.

President Biden also urged the media to not ignore the trauma suffered by survivors and their community, comparing it to the PTSD members of the military face.

“So many members of the military come back with post-traumatic stress after witnessing the violence and participating in it,” Biden said. “Well, these children, these teachers … we should be focusing on their mental health as well.”

First Lady Jill Biden also spoke about the shooting during an event in Washington D.C.

“I am truly without words. Our children deserve better. We stand, all of us, we stand with Nashville in prayer,” Jill Biden said.

The shooting occurred Monday morning at The Covenant School, a private Christian elementary school in Nashville. According to police, the attacker, a 28-year-old woman, was a former student. She was killed by police at the scene.

There have been 129 mass shootings in the U.S. so far in 2023, according to Bloomberg data.

With News Wire Services