VP Biden calls for civilian ban on assault weapons

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden is calling for banning civilian ownership of assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines after the mass shooting in Orlando.

Biden is responding to an online White House petition calling for AR-15 rifles to be banned. The petition was created hours after the shooting and merited an official White House response because it exceeded the required threshold of 100,000 signatures. As of early today, the petition has more than 185,000 signatures.

Biden says Congress should renew the expired assault-weapons ban. He also says Congress should vote to expand background checks and prohibit people on terrorist watch lists from buying guns. Votes in the Senate on those measures are expected Monday.

The gunman in Orlando used a Sig Sauer MCX, an assault rifle similar to the AR-15.