WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden on Thursday called on lawmakers to take bold action to address gun violence following a tragic school shooting in Georgia that left students and teachers dead.

"We need more than thoughts and prayers. Some of my Republican friends in Congress just finally have to say, 'Enough is enough, we have to do something,'" Biden said during a speech in Wisconsin, where he was highlighting his domestic policy achievements.

The president urged lawmakers to implement universal background checks, reinstate a national ban on assault rifles, and end legal protections for gun manufacturers as key steps to combat the gun violence epidemic.

"It won't bring back those children, but thousands of children have been gunned down," Biden said.

"More children are killed or die from a gunshot wound than any other reason in the entire United States—every disease, every accident, everything. More die as a consequence of a bullet in the United States of America."

The call to action came a day after a shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, where a 14-year-old suspect, identified as Colt Gray, opened fire, killing two students and two teachers. Nine other victims were hospitalized with injuries sustained during the attack.

The incident marks the latest in a series of school shootings that have reignited national debate over gun control and the need for stricter regulations to prevent further tragedies. — Agencies