Joe Biden remembers victims of Monterey Park, Half Moon Bay shootings one year after massacres, calls for gun control

One year after the tragic Monterey Park shooting, president Joe Biden has paid tribute to the people who lost their lives. He also remembered those who died two days later when a gunman opened fire in Half Moon Bay, killing seven people.

Joe Biden steps out of Saint Edmond Roman Catholic Church after attending mass in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on January 20, 2024 (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)(AFP)

As many as 11 people diedat the Star Dance Studio during aLunar New Year celebration in January last year when a gunman opened fire. The suspect,72-year-old Huu Can Tran ofHemet, later died from aself-inflicted gunshot wound at a SWAT scene in Torrance.

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Just two days later, a shooter murderedseven people at two landscaping nurseries in Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County, south of San Francisco. The suspect, who was soon taken into custody, was identified as Chunli Zhao, a 67-year-old Half Moon Bay resident.

“Jill and I pray for the families of the victims,” Biden wrote on X.

“In the weeks that followed, I announced an Executive Order containing new actions to crack down on the epidemic of gun violence,” he added in the thread. “We launched the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and my Administration is implementing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.”

Biden urged Congress “to do its part.” “It’s long past time we banned assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, ended immunity from liability for gun manufacturers, passed a national red flag law, enacted universal background checks, and required safe storage of guns,” he wrote.

In an extended statement published by the White House, Biden said, “These shootings shocked the conscience of our nation. In the weeks that followed at my State of the Union address, Jill and I were honored to host Brandon Tsay, who heroically disarmed the Monterey Park shooter and prevented further bloodshed. I also traveled to Monterey Park, where I spent hours meeting with families who lost loved ones, and announced an Executive Order containing new actions to crack down on the epidemic of gun violence tearing our country apart.”

He added, “In the wake of the tragic shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, California has also taken action, passing more than 20 new gun safety laws and investing in proven solutions like gun violence intervention programs. Other states should follow their lead.”