Biden again calls for assault weapons ban after Nashville shooting

President Joe Biden called for a national assault weapons ban again on Monday in the immediate aftermath of a Nashville shooting that saw three children and three staff members killed.

Biden has repeatedly called on Congress to enact such legislation, especially in the wake of comparable violent incidents, such as an October 2022 shooting spree in Raleigh, N.C.

The Nashville shooter, a 28-year-old woman, carried two rifles and a pistol during the episode, the Washington Times reported. Her motive remains unknown.

"It’s about time that we begin to make some more progress," Biden said Monday. "We have to do more to stop gun violence. It’s ripping our communities apart, ripping at the very soul of this nation."

The U.S. House passed an assault weapons ban in 2022, but did not clear the Senate. That plan, devised by Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., would have banned the sale, transfer, and manufacturing of certain semi-automatic firearms that feature detachable magazines and/or a number of other, largely external features.

The term "assault weapon" is loosely defined, but often refers to semi-automatic firearms such as AR-15s that include detachable magazines and visually resemble military-issue weapons. 

With Republicans in control of the House, a national assault weapons ban is likely dead on arrival.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.