The father of a mass shooting victim heckled President Biden at an event Monday on the White House’s South Lawn where the president was trying to showcase new gun control laws.
Manuel Oliver, whose son died in a 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, interrupted Mr. Biden’s speech to lambast him for not doing enough to curb gun violence.
Wearing a shirt with his son’s photo on it, Mr. Oliver called out that Mr. Biden wasn’t aggressive enough on gun control.
“Sit down! You’ll hear what I have to say,” Mr. Biden told the man who tried to shout over his speech.
Although it wasn’t clear what Mr. Oliver was saying, at one point he shouted to Mr. Biden, “I’ve been trying to tell you for years.”
As security approached Mr. Oliver, Mr. Biden told them to let Mr. Oliver talk, but then continued his remarks preventing anyone from speaking over him.
Mr. Oliver was quickly escorted out of the event.
Earlier, Mr. Oliver ripped the gun legislation package for not going far enough. He also slammed the White House for promoting Monday’s event as a “celebration” of the gun laws.
“The world CELEBRATION has no place in a society that saw 19 kids massacred just a month ago. Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years. Not me, not Joaquin,” he tweeted referencing his son.
Mr. Biden was hosting several mass shooting survivors and victims’ families at the White House to highlight new gun safety laws he signed last month.
Mr. Biden touted the laws as a significant step forward. The bipartisan legislation is the most impactful gun violence measure Congress has approved since 1994.
“Lives will be saved today and tomorrow because of this,” Mr. Biden said. “What we’re doing here today is real, is vivid, is relevant. The action we take today is designed to make our nation the kind of nation we should be.”
Within days of signing the laws, a gunman opened fire in Highland Park, Illinois, at a July 4 parade. Seven people died and 46 others were injured in the attack.
Mr. Biden said the new gun and mental health measures were just the start.
“Now is the time to galvanize this movement because that’s our duty to the people of this nation,” Mr. Biden said on Monday. “That’s what we owe those grandmas in Buffalo, where a grocery store became a killing field, that’s what we owe those families in Uvalde where an elementary school became a killing field, that’s for those families in Highland Park where a parade became a killing field.”
He pushed for more gun control legislation, calling for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. He also urged Congress to pass legislation that would hold gun owners responsible if they don’t safely secure their firearms.
“Yes there’s a right to bear arms, but we also have a right to live freely without fear for our lives,” he said. “The right to bear arms is not an absolute right that dominates all others.”
Mass shooting survivors and victims’ families attended the event. This included attacks in: Columbine, Colorado; Virginia Tech; Aurora, Illinois; Newtown, Connecticut; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Buffalo, New York; Uvalde, Texas; and Highland Park.
Gun control advocates, Vice President Kamala Harris and 80 members of Congress who worked on the bipartisan gun bill also attended the event.
The legislation includes $750 million to help states implement red flag programs, which can temporarily prevent individuals in crisis from accessing firearms through a court order. Funds can also be used for other crisis intervention programs, including mental health courts, drug courts, and veterans courts.
The legislation also put tougher firearms restrictions on individuals who have been convicted of domestic violence against spouses and partners with whom they share children.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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