On November 3, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited Lewiston, Maine, after one of this year’s deadliest mass shooting left 18 people dead and 13 injured.

After the Oct. 25 shooting, Biden reiterated his desire to see Congress pass a ban on assault-style weapons.

The same assault-style weaponry was used last week by the gunman, Robert R. Card II, a 40-year-old Army reservist from Bowdoin.

Biden reiterates urgent need for assault weapons ban

Card’s declining mental health raised alarms from family and fellow reservists in the months leading up to the shooting.

“Jill and I are here on behalf of the American people to grieve with you and make sure you know that you’re not alone,” Biden said.

On Friday, Stefanie Feldman, Director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, said, “Today, the President and First Lady are traveling to Maine to be with the family members, community members, and first responders personally impacted by the tragic shooting last week.”

She continued, “Recovering from this attack will be long and difficult, and President Biden is committed to marshaling resources from across the federal government to support Lewiston every step of the way. He will also continue to be relentless in doing everything in his power to stop the epidemic of gun violence tearing our communities apart and urging Congress to act on common sense gun safety legislation.”

The president and First Lady arrived flying on Air Force One into Brunswick Executive Airport.

According to the White House Press Office, they are going to “pay respects to the victims of this horrific attack and grieve with families and community members, as well as meet with first responders, nurses, and others on the front lines of the response.”

White House says trips like Lewiston are becoming “too familiar

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre believes these trips have become “far too familiar.”

Jean-Pierre says, “too many times, the president and the First Lady have traveled to communities completely torn apart by gun violence.”

Maine Governor Janet Mills invited the Bidens. She was pleased by the presidential support and willingness to help during tragic times.

Gov. Mills put out a statement in support of Biden, stating, “By visiting us in our time of need, the president and First Lady are making clear that the entire nation stands with Lewiston and with Maine, and for that, I am profoundly grateful.”

Mills met Biden in Lewiston, then joined them as they visited community sites and memorials.