President Joe Biden has released a statement expressing his sorrow and anger over the deadly shooting at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, that claimed the lives of five people and injured eight others on Monday morning. The shooter, who was identified as a bank employee, live-streamed the attack on Instagram before being killed by police.


Biden said he was devastated by the senseless loss of life and commended the bravery of the first responders who risked their lives to stop the gunman. He also said he spoke with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and offered them his full support.


Biden called on Congress to act swiftly to pass common-sense gun safety legislation that would prevent such tragedies from happening again. He said he would not rest until every American feels safe from the scourge of gun violence.


Among the victims of the shooting were four bank employees, including Thomas Elliott, a senior vice president and a close friend of Beshear. The governor said Elliott was an “irreplaceable, amazing individual” who helped him build his law career and become governor.


The shooting was the 15th mass killing in the U.S. this year in which four or more victims were killed, according to a database compiled by USA TODAY, Associated Press and Northeastern University. It was also the fourth public shooting, following attacks at a grocery store in Colorado, a spa in Georgia and an office building in California.