DHS Secretary Vows to Ratchet Up National Violence Response in Wake of Deadly Illinois Shooting

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on Tuesday that his agency would redouble efforts to stem the rash of violence across the United States in the wake of the deadly mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois.
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“The Department of Homeland Security will redouble its work in this critical area and help lead the effort to prevent violence in communities across our country,” he said. “The security of our homeland requires more; it requires all of us, together, to address the epidemic of targeted gun violence, including the development and implementation of new community-based models of prevention and intervention.”
On Monday, a 21-year-old gunman shot and killed six people and injured three dozen during the Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois. City officials said the shooter purchased the rifle he used in the attack legally.
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The authorities said that shooter fired on the Independence Day parade crowd from a nearby roof. There were at least 11 mass shootings on Independence Day, resulting in the wounding of 51 people.
Mayorkas said federal law enforcement officials had been warning about a "heightened threat environment" propelled in part by domestic extremists and considerable socio-economic upheaval.
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