US Senators reach narrow deal on gun safety

Washington, June 13 (IANS) A group of bipartisan US Senators announced a narrow gun safety deal amid public disappointment about political inaction against the rising gun violence.

The plan, endorsed by 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans, includes measures to crack down on criminals who illegally straw purchase and traffic guns, strengthen criminal background check requirements for gun buyers younger than 21, and fund mental health services, reports Xinhua news agency.

Both sides touted it as a victory but the deal fell short of the White House's proposals to ban assault weapons and raise the minimum age of purchasing certain firearms from 18 to 21, among other things.

The Senators' announcement came a day after Americans gathered across the US to decry rising gun violence and urge politicians to take action in the wake of several mass shootings over the past few weeks.

At least 17 people were killed and 62 others injured in 11 mass shootings across the US earlier this month.

Last week, three people died and 14 others were injured following a shooting outside a nightclub in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Ten people were killed at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store on May 14, while 19 children and two teachers were shot dead at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24.

On June 1, four people were shot and killed at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, medical building, and the next day, three people died in a shooting outside a church in Ames, Iowa.

According to the latest data from Gun Violence Archive, the US has suffered 265 mass shootings over the past five months, with more than 19,500 lives lost to gun violence.