Biden reacts to Kentucky shooting by challenging Republicans to act: ‘How many more Americans must die’

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President Joe Biden has called on Congress to take action in the wake of the deadly shooting in Louisville, Kentucky, and slammed Republicans for their inaction on gun control.

Five people were killed, including the gunman, and nine were injured during a Monday morning shooting at a building that houses an Old National Bank branch.

“Once again, our nation is in mourning after a senseless act of gun violence. Jill and I are praying for those killed and injured in the tragic shooting in Louisville, and for the survivors who will carry grief and trauma for the rest of their lives,” said the president in a statement.

He added: “How many more Americans must die before Republicans in Congress will act to protect our communities? It’s long past time that we require safe storage of firearms. Require background checks for all gun sales. Eliminate gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability. We can and must do these things now.”

Mr Biden stated that most Americans wanted lawmakers in the US to “act on commonsense gun safety reforms.”

“Instead, from Florida to North Carolina to the U.S. House of Representatives, we’ve watched Republican officials double down on dangerous bills that make our schools, places of worship, and communities less safe. It’s unconscionable, it’s reckless, and too many Americans are paying with their lives,” he said.

Officials say that the shooting took place at around 8.30am ET with officers responding to the scene within minutes and taking down the gunman.

Police say that the gunman “did have a connection” to the bank.

The shooting came two weeks after a gunman killed three children and three adults at a private Christian elementary school in Nashville.