GREENSBORO, N.C. — Greensboro and High Point will see Vice President Kamala Harris visit on Monday, April 19 to discuss jobs. But as the vice president plans to arrive in the Tar Heel State, recent mass shootings are sparking the debate about gun laws in the United States, with both of the country's major political parties largely sticking to their perspectives.
Kenosha, Wisconsin was again in the spotlight with a mass shooting at a restaurant. Officers say the gunman opened fire inside, killing three others and seriously wounding two more in an incident described by authorities as a targeted shooting. One resident who lived near the tavern says he saw chaos unfold outside his home.
"Heard three shots go off, ran to the window, heard more shots on my way to the window," said Peter Ploskee, "and then I just see people running in every direction."
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That shooting unfolded just three days after another mass shooting in Indianapolis, Indiana, this time at a FedEx facility. A former employee shot and killed eight people inside. Closer to home in Rock Hill, South Carolina, the deaths of six people after a shooting at a beloved physician's home earlier this month rocked the Palmetto State. And the list of recent shootings doesn't stop there; just this weekend, three mass shootings happened across the country: three people were killed in Austin, Texas in what was described as an "active attack" situation by authorities, six people were wounded at a child's birthday party in LaPlace, Louisiana after an argument turned dangerous, and a child was among three people killed during a shooting in Van Buren, Arkansas.
Lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties agree the conversation needs to continue on how to address more incidents of gun violence across the country. But how they want to tackle the issue is where they split. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a staunch conservative, says his counterparts across the aisle aren't taking the best approach.
"Unfortunately, when it comes to gun violence we see Democrats playing political games, we see Democrats targeting law-abiding citizens," he said.
North Carolina senator Thom Tillis agreed with his fellow Republican, further saying the conversation shouldn't just be about laws that expand current controls on gun ownership.
"I think a discussion about increasing gun control alone is too simplistic for us to think we're going to make any real progress," he said.
But ahead of her arrival in North Carolina, Vice President Harris made clear her stance on Twitter after Indianapolis: Congress needs to take action.
A bipartisan solution doesn't seem to be making any progress right now, but the Biden-Harris administration has already announced six actions touted as helpful tools, including rules to stop the production of 3D-printed "ghost guns", a model for "red flag" laws for states, and rules for how to identify when a device marketed as a "stabilizing brace" could turn a pistol into a short-barreled rifle.