President Biden tonight suggested there is little he can do to address gun violence on a legislative level due to the partisan gridlock in Congress, but pointed to executive actions he is taking to address a rise in shootings across the nation.
"The people who are in fact using those weapons are acquiring them illegally," he said of perpetrators of mass shooting incidents. "...So what happens is I've gotten ATF... I have them increase their budget and increase their capacity along with the Justice Department to go after the gun shops that are not abiding by the law of doing background checks."
He also pledged to launch probes into shadow gun dealers and weapons dealers who "are not abiding by the law."
"We are going to launch major investigations to shut those guys down and put some them in jail for what they are doing, selling these weapons," he said.
As of the beginning of June, more than 8,100 people have died from gun violence in the US in 2021, according to the Gun Violence Archive, with over 240 mass shootings as of June 1. In May, the archive told CNN there has been a 23% uptick in deaths from gun violence this year.
Where things stand in Congress: The Democratic-led House of Representatives passed two bills on March 11 that would expand background checks on all commercial gun sales. The bills face a steep uphill climb in the Senate as Democrats hold a slim 50-50 majority and would need significant Republican support to overcome a legislative filibuster.
Read more about what Congress is considering on gun reform here.
CNN's Daniella Diaz and Jessica Dean contributed reporting to this post.