Speaking at a press conference at the White House after a weekend that saw two deadly shootings take place just hours apart in Texas and Ohio, US President Donald Trump called for the death penalty for those who commit hate crimes and mass murder.
“Today, I’m also directing the Department of Justice to propose legislation ensuring that those who commit hate crimes and mass murders face the death penalty and that this capital punishment be delivered quickly, decisively, and without years of needless delay,” Trump said.
Trump's statement came after two deadly mass shootings on Sunday morning left 31 dead including one of the shooters.
His policy on the death penalty reflects a decision taken two weeks prior, when the US government announced that it would resume federal executions after a two-decade gap, with five death-row inmates set to be executed by mid-January of 2020.
Trump added that he believed Republicans and Democrats alike would work together to address “this plague”.
“I am open and ready to listen and discuss all ideas that will actually work and make a very big difference. Republicans and Democrats have proven that we can join together in a bipartisan fashion to address this plague.”
Trump highlighted how, at his direction, the US government had banned bump stocks — a modification for semi-automatic assault rifles that allows them to fire bullets at a faster rate — and prosecuted “a record number of firearm offences”.
He concluded saying that “now is the time to set destructive partisanship aside… and find the courage to answer hatred with unity, devotion and love.”
In an address given earlier in the day, Trump had said that "mental illness and hatred pulls the trigger, not the gun", targeting "gruesome video games" and the societal glorification of violence in an address. In a shift from his usual stance, Trump openly condemned white supremacy and racism, saying "In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry, and white supremacy."
Death toll updated in Texas, no racial motive found in Ohio
The El Paso police department updated the death toll from the shootings in Texas to 21, with one of the victims dying in hospital on Monday. The gunman had posted an anti-Hispanic manifesto on the unmoderated message board 8chan, which was taken down by Cloudflare after the shootings.
Meanwhile, police officials in Ohio reported that they had found no indication of race being a motive, though six of the nine who were kileld were black, according to AFP. Earlier, CNN reported officials saying that they did not yet know the motive behind the killings.