President Joe Biden, following a mass shooting in San Jose, California, on Wednesday, said that "every life that is taken by a bullet pierces the soul of our nation. We can, and we must, do more.
"Once again, I urge Congress to take immediate action and heed the call of the American people, including the vast majority of gun owners, to help end this epidemic of gun violence in America," he said.
Earlier, White House deputy press secretary Karine Jeane-Pierre said the administration was monitoring the situation in San Jose after an employee opened fire at a rail yard, killing eight people before ending his own life.
PHOTOS: Mass Shooting Leaves Casualties at VTA Rail Yard in San Jose
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She reiterated Biden’s call for Congress to pass gun control measures.
“What’s clear, as the President has said, is that we are suffering from an epidemic of gun violence in this country, both in mass shootings and in the lives that are being taken in daily gun violence that doesn’t make national headlines,” she said.
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Vice President Kamala Harris called the shootings "absolutely tragic."
"I have family that live in San Jose...," she said. "And my prayers and my thoughts aree with all of those families that have been affected."
