US President Joe Biden has appealed for sweeping measures to address gun violence in the United States.

In a speech addressing the nation on recent mass shooting tragedies in Texas and Oklahoma, Biden called on Congress to pass “commonsense” laws, calling for a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, as well as strengthened background checks, and safe storage and red flag laws.

He said if an assault weapon ban was not possible, the minimum age for purchase should be raised from 18 to 21 years.

“I want to be very clear: this is not about taking away anyone’s guns,” he said. “It’s not about vilifying gun owners.

“In fact, we believe we should be treating responsible gun owners as an example of how every gun owner should behave.”

LISTEN below to US President Joe Biden address Congress

We need to:

Ban assault weapons — and if we can’t, then we should raise the age to purchase them from 18 to 21.

Ban high-capacity magazines.

Strengthen background checks.

Enact safe storage laws and red flag laws.

Repeal gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability.

— President Biden (@POTUS) June 2, 2022