Biden comes to Philly to talk gun violence
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<p>Authorities spent the day searching the courthouse in Wilmington. They'll go over the area again Tuesday as part of their investigation. (Mark Eichmann/WHYY)</p>
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<p>Wilmington Mayor Williams was among the first on the scene. His office is blocks away. (Mark Eichmann/WHYY)</p>
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<p>The court complex in Wilmington moments after the 8am shooting death of 3 people. (Mark Eichmann/WHYY)</p>
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<p>The New Castle County Court will be closed through Tuesday. A-G Biden says any court workers who need help will be provided assistance in light of the shooting. (Mark Eichmann/WHYY)</p>
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<p>Court workers and anyone with court business were kept inside the New Castle County Courthouse for several hours after the morning shooting. (Mark Eichmann/WHYY)</p>
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<p>Police tape around the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington after 8am shooting leaves 3 dead and 2 officers wounded. (Mark Eichmann/WHYY)</p>
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<p>Police credit their Kevlar vest for stopping the bullets that were fired at 2 Capitol Police officers. (Mark Eichman/WHYY)</p>
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<p>Wilmington Police work with Capitol Police to investigate the New Castle County Courthouse shooting. (Mark Eichmann/WHYY)</p>
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<p>State and Wilmington authorities searched all 9 floors of the New Castle County building after the morning shooting. (Mark Eichamann/WHYY)</p>
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<p>Police gather outside the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington after the 8am shooting. (Mark Eichmann/WHYY)</p>
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<p>King Street was closed from 4th to 8th Street. The courthouse will be closed through Tuesday. (Mark Eichmann/WHYY)</p>
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Wilmington Police Chief Christine Dunning answers questions about the shootings at New Castle County Courthouse after attending a roundtable discussion on gun safety with Vice President Joe Biden in Philadelphia. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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Wilmington Police Chief Christine Dunning sits on a gun safety panel with Vice President Joe Biden in Philadelphia while her force deals with a fatal shooting at the New Castle County courthouse. Beside her is Atlantic City Police Chief Ernest Jubilee. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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Police chiefs from around the Philadelphia area participate in a discussion on gun safety with Vice President Joe Biden. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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Flanked by Philadelphia Police Chief Charles Ramsey and Mayor Michael Nutter, Vice President Joe Biden speaks about gun safety at Girard College. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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Springettsbury Police Chief Thomas Hyers holds up a bullet of the type used in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings during a press conference with Vice President Joe Biden at Girard College. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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Vice President Joe Biden makes a plea for gun control during a meeting with law enforcement officials at Girard College. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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Mayor Michael Nutter speaks about gun control during a press conference with Vice President Joe Biden and law enforcement officials at Girard College. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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Vice President Joe Biden meets with elected representatives and law enforcement officials to discuss gun control at Girard College. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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With Philadelphia Police Chief Charles Ramsey looking on, Vice President Joe Biden suggest what could be done to curb gun violence during a press conference at Girard College. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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Flanked by Philadelphia Police Chief Charles Ramsey and Mayor Michael Nutter, Vice President Joe Biden speaks about gun safety at Girard College. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
Girard College hosted another stop of Vice President Biden’s listening tour on gun violence. Biden invited elected officials and law enforcement, but not gun-rights groups.
“If we can save the life of one single person, one child without any impact on an individual’s constitutional right, why in God’s name should we not do that?” he asked to frame the Philadelphia discussion.
Biden says after the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, something has to be done to help fight gun violence. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Philadelphia) says limits have to be placed on military-style weapons.
“In L.A. we have a person running around with assault weapons shooting police officers,” said Fattah. “We saw the incident in Newtown where kids were shot down. We have to decide that we don’t want to have people running around with military style assault weapons. We have to go as far as we possibly can to save as many people as possible.”
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, who is part of Biden’s national panel on gun violence, says the effort needs to be comprehensive.
“We’ve got to work with Congress, we’ve got to work with responsible gun owners we’ve got to work with the American public to fight the kind of violence that is going on on the streets of our cities,” said Ramsey. “Status quo is not acceptable.”
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter wants to regulate oversized ammunition clips.
“A person with virtually no sight, you give them a gun with 15, 17 rounds or if they have something with higher capacity you shoot a whole lot of bullets out there you are going to hit a something and even if you don’t hit a vital organ,” said Nutter. “And if you are shot six times you’re literally just going to bleed out before we can get you to the hospital.”
The group also called for more police officers to help with the fight against violence.