VP Kamala Harris Breaks Silence On Gun Violence Amid Maine Mass Shooting

Vice President Kamala Harris has just issued a statement on gun violence after Robert Card, 40, killed 18 people and injured several others in Maine.

The VP stated that "gun violence has terrorized and traumatized so many of our communities," adding that "it doesn't have to be this way."

Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States, took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to speak out about gun violence in our country.

"Gun violence has terrorized and traumatized so many of our communities in this country," she stated, adding, "It does not have to be this way."

Harris then went on to state that she and President Joe Biden "call on Republicans to work with us, pass commonsense gun safety laws including an assault weapons ban, and save lives."

https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1717927891470533037

The Vice President's statement comes after President Joe Biden spoke out about the tragic events that took place in Maine Wednesday night.

“Once again, our nation is in mourning,” he said Thursday morning. “Today, Jill and I are praying for the Americans who’ve lost their lives, for those still in critical care, and for the families, survivors, and community members enduring shock and grief.”

He then urged the public to stay in a safe place as the suspect, Robert Card, remains at large and is considered “armed and dangerous”.

“I have directed my administration to provide everything that is needed to support the people of Maine. We will continue to be there every step of the way,” Biden added, noting that “countless” Americans have survived gun violence.

It is “not normal, and we cannot accept it,” the President said, that what the nation has done thus far with gun safety is “simply not enough.”

Read Joe Biden's full statement here.

The suspect, Robert Card, is a sergeant first class in the U.S. Army Reserve, where he enlisted in the Reserve in 2002. He is assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment in Saco, Maine, U.S. Army spokesperson Bryce Dubee told CBS News.

The 40-year-old recently stated he was hearing voices, and had threatened to shoot up the National Guard base in Saco. He was then committed to a mental health facility for two weeks this summer.

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A massive manhunt is still underway for Robert Card, the man responsible behind the Maine mass shooting on Wednesday evening.

Late Thursday afternoon, the FBI and local law enforcement surrounded a home believed to belong to Card. They had a standoff for several hours, however, it seems Card was not inside as emergency vehicles were seen leaving the scene later that evening.

Law enforcement, did, however, find a suicide note left by the suspectaddressed to his son.

Friday morning, a press conference was held at Lewiston City Hall where authorities stated that during the overnight hours, officers and investigators have been continuing to work 530+ tips and leads that have come in from the general public.

Law enforcement is continuing to search both the bowling alley and the local bar as their investigation goes on. “I suspect that we are days away from completing those partial crime scenes,” the spokesperson said at the news conference while addressing the public.

Divers will be sent into the river on Friday near the boat dock where Card’s car was found to continue the search for the 40-year-old suspect, though they did make it clear that although divers will be searching the water, they still do not know if the suspect is in the river or if he is hiding somewhere else.

The public was promised that a press conference would occur every morning at 10 a.m. to keep everyone up-to-date with the latest information.

Robert Card is still at large.