Former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenFormer Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick Bloomberg rolls out M ad buy to boost Biden in Florida MORE criticized current gun safety laws Thursday following the nation's latest shooting in California, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Thursday morning, two students were killed and three others were wounded when a 16-year-old opened fire at Saugus High School, 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles where Biden was campaigning.

“You parents and grandparents, you send off children — 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 years old — and the first thing they learn is how to duck and cover,” the 2020 hopeful told supporters.

ADVERTISEMENT

"I’m so tired about people talking about your prayers. Damn it, we have to protect these kids. We have to do it now.”

Biden, the longtime Delaware senator, also brought up his success against the gun lobby, telling supporters "I’m the only one running who’s ever passed anything really big.”

Biden's rally, which was held at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, was his first in California since he joined the Democratic primary race in April.

According to RCP's average of polls, the former vice president is still leading the pack, polling at 26 percent, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenOvernight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon's use of COVID-19 funds On The Money: Half of states deplete funds for Trump's 0 unemployment expansion | EU appealing ruling in Apple tax case | House Democrats include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package Warren, Khanna request IG investigation into Pentagon's use of coronavirus funds MORE (D-Mass.) is second with 20.8 percent.