Tuesday morning's deadly mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas has claimed at least 21 lives, including 18 children.
On the night before Wednesday Swedish time, Biden held a press conference in the wake of the tragedy.
- Beautiful, innocent, second-, third- and fourth-graders.
And how many small children who witnessed what happened saw their friends die, as if they were on a battlefield for God's sake, Biden said.
Criticizes the right to own weapons
The president then called on the nation to stand up to the country's arms lobby in the wake of today's events.
- As a nation, we must ask ourselves when in the name of God should we stand up to the arms lobby?
When in the name of God will we do what we all deep down know needs to be done?
He stressed the importance of "weapons laws based on common sense".
- The idea that an 18-year-old youth can go into an arms deal and buy two assault weapons is completely wrong.
What the hell do you need attack weapons for besides killing someone?
said the President, adding:
- Deer do not run through the forest with life jackets on for God's sake.
It's just sick, he added.
Referred to own experiences
- Losing a child is like getting a piece of your soul torn away, he continued and described the feeling as "suffocating".
Biden himself has lost two children, Naomi and Beau Biden.
Obama comments
Former President Barack Obama also commented on the shooting in Uvalde by giving a boot to the country's gun laws:
- The United States is paralyzed, not by fear, but by an arms lobby and a political party that has not shown any willingness to act in any way that can help prevent these tragedies.