President Joe Biden urged police forces to use federal law-enforcement money, saying it can help cut gun violence “before it’s too late.”

Biden spoke briefly on the gunman in Buffalo, New York, who killed 10 people and injured three others in what federal officials are investigating as a racist hate crime, during a memorial service for police officers killed in the line of duty.

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“We must all work together to address the hate that remains a stain on the soul of America,” on Sunday, Biden told a group of law enforcement officials on the steps of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

In the Buffalo mass shooting, a white 18-year-old man dressed in military gear opened fire at a grocery store on Saturday. According to police, 11 of the 13 victims shot were black. A former police officer acting as a security guard was slain in an exchange of gunfire by the shooter.

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According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 198 mass shootings in the United States this year, with four or more people shot, including incidents in Portland, Sacramento, New York City, and Pittsburgh.

Biden had already directed that flags at government facilities be flown at half-staff on Sunday in honour of Peace Officers Memorial Day. According to FBI records, 56 law enforcement officers died in accidents in 2021, while 73 perished as a result of criminal activity.

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Republicans have attempted to blame Democrats for a rise in violent crime in recent years, viewing it as a political issue. Biden has recommended additional funding for community policing and has targeted the growth of “ghost guns,” which are privately manufactured handguns without serial numbers.