(NewsNation) — While at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for a union event Friday, President Joe Biden took the opportunity to call for gun reform following a deadly shooting at the university this week.
A gunman walked into UNLV’s business school Wednesday at around lunchtime and opened fire. Three professors identified as Naoko Takemaru, 69, Cha-Jan “Jerry” Chang, 64, and Patricia Navarro-Velez, 39, died in the shooting.
“We join the people across the country praying for the families of those killed, whose hearts have been broken by yet another horrific gun violence,” Biden said Friday.
As students and educators experience the trauma of the shooting, Biden wants Congress to take action.
“This (gun violence) is not normal, and we can never let it become normal. People have the right to feel safe, be safe, and I’m fighting to make sure they do,” Biden said.
He continued: “But all these actions I’ve taken as president of the United States (on the) gun violence epidemic is not enough. We need Congress to step up.”
Biden urged lawmakers to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines, implement fast national red flag laws, require safe gun storage and enact universal background checks.
The president said steps should be taken to “prevent more families and more communities from being torn apart by gun violence.”
Authorities say the UNLV shooter identified as 67-year-old Anthony Polito went to several floors of UNLV’s Lee Business School and opened fire on the fourth floor before being killed in a shootout with police. Polito, a former college professor, was turned down for a job at UNLV, NewsNation affiliate KLAS reported.
Police say Polito had been “struggling financially” and had a list of targets at the school with more than 150 rounds of ammunition.