US President Joe Biden said today that gun violence is tearing US communities apart following a series of deadly shootings in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Fort Worth, Texas, that killed at least 10 people ahead of the Fourth of July celebrations. July.

More action is needed to address “the scourge of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart,” Biden said in a White House statement. At the same time, he called on the Republicans in Congress to negotiate with the Democrats on reforms related to the limitation of gun ownership.

“It is within our jurisdiction to re-ban assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, require safe storage of guns, end the impunity of gun manufacturers and enact universal background checks,” Biden added.

Biden has made similar requests in the past. Bloody mass shootings tend to rekindle the heated debate over gun control measures in the US.

There have been more than 340 mass shootings in the country so far this year, according to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a “mass shooting” as an incident in which at least four people, excluding the shooter, are shot.