A White House spokeswoman condemned the Tuesday Kansas shooting that ultimately led to the death of one Indian man and injured his two friends (Indian and American) thus gaining international attention.
Sarah Sanders, a White House spokeswoman, told reporters that the attack appeared to be racially motivated.
This is one of the most direct statement from White House on a shooting which killed Srinivas Kuchibhotla, a 32-year old employee at GPS Company Garmin, while injuring Ian Grillot, 24 and Alok Madasani, 32.
Sanders said that the investigation continues to reveal more information that is exposing it as a racially motivated hatred. She insisted that President Donald Trump does not condone this and any other form of religious attack.
These comments have been made at a time when many are calling upon the President to respond.
Donald Trump is likely to mention the attacks in his speech to the Congress.
“I think it should be addressed because there are a lot of people mourning,” said Ian Grillot.
The spokeswoman said that the president mourns with the family of the victim and prays that the injured will have a quick recovery.
Kuchibhotla’s cremation
The cremation of the 32-year-old was graced by about 200 people and took place in his native city of Hyderabad, India.
The body was airlifted to the southern city on Monday, accompanied by Sunayana Dumala (his widow) and Sai Kiran (his brother).
Ms Dumala took to Facebook where she said that the struggle must go on and ensure people are set free of hatred.
She also cast doubt on how effective the government has been at fighting hate crimes, questioning whether immigrants can live safely in the U.S.
She wrote that she doesn’t feel America is at the moment safe for raising families and children.
“Do we belong here?” she wrote.
The perpetuator, Adam Purinton, 51, has been charged with one count of premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of attempted premeditated first-degree murder for the shooting last Wednesday at Austins Bar and Grill in Olathe.
Eye witnesses report that Purinton became agitated by the two Indian men and threw insults at them before Grillot, a regular at the bar asked him to walk out.
The attacker then left the bar but returned and opened fire at the two. The shooter is to have been yelling “Get out of my country” as he proceeded with the shooting.
“Shot two ‘Iranian men’”
Purinton fled on foot upon realizing the harm he had done. Police set out on him and was arrested at an Applebee’s restaurant one hour after the attack. His arrest point is 70 miles from the crime scene.
The bartender to the place he went to seek refuge made a call to the police, revealing that the shooter had admitted to having shot “two Iranian people in Olathe” and was seeking for refuge.
The matter is still under investigation and the FBI are trying to see if it was triggered by hate crime.
