Wednesday commemorated 10 years since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. U.S. President Joe Biden stated that Americans should feel "societal responsibility" for failing to adequately address gun violence over the past decade.

The attack at the school on December 14, 2012, in which a highly armed gunman killed 20 young children and six educators, shook the nation and has been followed by a mass shooting epidemic.

"We should feel collective shame for not addressing this issue sooner. We have a moral obligation to enact and implement legislation that can prevent these atrocities from occurring in the future "Biden stated in a statement.

"We owe it to the courageous young survivors and the families who lost a piece of their soul a decade ago to transform their suffering into meaning," he said.

President Obama has reaffirmed his commitment to securing a new assault weapons ban and increased pressure on lawmakers to approve legislation before his party loses control of the House of Representatives next month.

Wednesday evening, the White House was illuminated in green to memorialize the Sandy Hook victims, their families, and survivors. Sandy Hook's school color was green. Many families who lost loved ones used the hue in ribbons and other memorials in the days following the massacre, according to a White House official.

Biden emphasized in his statement that, in June, he had signed into law a bipartisan bill containing provisions designed to assist states in keeping firearms out of the hands of individuals regarded to pose a danger to themselves or others.

"We must still do more. I am determined to outlaw assault rifles and high-capacity magazines similar to those used at Sandy Hook Elementary School and countless other mass murders in America "he stated.

"Enough is sufficient. Our obligation is unambiguous. We must abolish these weapons that have no other purpose but to kill enormous numbers of people "Biden stated. "It is within our power to achieve this, not just for the sake of the innocent souls lost, but also for the sake of the survivors who still have hope."

Democratic former President Barack Obama, who was in the White House when the Sandy Hook shooting occurred, described it as "the single worst day of my presidency" in a statement. However, he stated that this was not the case more recently "I have the impression that the tide is slowly and steadily turning and that genuine change is conceivable. And I feel this way mostly due to the family of Sandy Hook Elementary School."