Former President of the United States, Barack Obama has reacted to the increased anti-Asian violence across cities in America, as he condemned the mass shooting and killing of 8 people mostly Asian women in a massage parlour in Atlanta on Tuesday night.
Obama took to his official Twitter handle on Wednesday 17th March 2021, to react to the shooting in Atlanta, which has been seen by himself and many as an anti-Asian violence attack that has targeted Asian-Americans.
It is a trend that has been on the increase since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, which is rumoured to have originated from China.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Obama tweeted saying:
“Yesterday’s shootings are another tragic reminder that we have far more work to do to put in place commonsense gun safety laws and root out the pervasive patterns of hatred and violence in our society,” he said.
The latest incident which started the trend #StopAsianHate and sparked outrage across the United States, took place at a massage parlour in Acworth, a suburb north of Atlanta, and two spas in the city itself.
South Korea later confirmed that four of the victims were of Korean descent.
Officials say a 21-year-old man was arrested and is suspected of involvement in all of the attacks.
No motive has yet been established, but there are fears the crimes may have deliberately targeted people of Asian descent, BBC report had stated.
Obama continued his message by adding that:
“Even as we’ve battled the pandemic, we’ve continued to neglect the longer-lasting epidemic of gun violence in America. Although the shooter’s motive is not yet clear, the identity of the victims underscores an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence that must end.
Michelle and I pray for the victims, their families, everyone grieving these needless and devastating killings—and we urge meaningful action that will save lives,” he added.
No words yet from President Joe Biden as at the time of this report.