Biden announces measure on firearm background checks

Washington, March 15

The White House has said that US President Joe Biden will move to strengthen background checks on gun sales.

Biden announced an executive order on Tuesday with the goal of increasing the number of background checks conducted before firearm sales, according to the White House.

The executive order, the White House said on Tuesday, intends to keep more guns out of dangerous hands by increasing the use of "red flag" laws, strengthen efforts to hold the gun industry accountable, and accelerate law enforcement efforts to identify and apprehend the shooters menacing American communities.

Besides, the President is encouraging the Federal Trade Commission to issue a public report analysing how gun manufacturers market firearms to minors, Xinhua news agency reported.

Biden travelled to Monterey Park, California, on Tuesday, to visit the community impacted by a mass shooting that claimed 11 lives and injured nine others earlier this year.

"Monterey Park is part of a growing list of communities all across the country that are forever changed due to gun violence -- not only mass shootings, but also daily acts of gun violence that may not make national headlines," the White House said.

The US has lost more than 8,300 lives to gun violence so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.