Harris tells Asian Americans ‘we stand with you’ after Atlanta shootings

Vice President Harris on Wednesday expressed solidarity with the Asian American community after shootings near Atlanta left several Asian women dead amid a broader rise in bias against Asian Americans.

“Knowing the increasing level of hate crime against our Asian American brothers and sisters, we also want to speak out in solidarity with them and acknowledge that none of us should ever be silent in the face of any form of hate,” Harris said during a virtual meeting with the Irish prime minister to mark St. Patrick’s Day.

“We’re not yet clear about the motive,” Harris added. “But I do want to say to our Asian American community that we stand with you and understand how this has frightened and shocked and outraged all people.”

Harris, whose mother is originally from India, is the first Asian American elected vice president.

Her comments come as police investigate the Tuesday night shootings around Atlanta that left eight people dead, six of whom were Asian. The shootings took place at massage parlors, and all but one of the victims were women.

President Biden has been briefed on the shooting and indicated he would address it later Wednesday.

Authorities said Wednesday that the suspected gunman claimed he has a “sexual addiction.”

While it’s unclear whether the shooting will be labeled a hate crime, the shooting raised further awareness of how Asian Americans have been targeted with violence and discrimination amid the coronavirus pandemic.

NBC News reported this week that there were nearly 3,800 incidents of bias against Asian Americans reported over the past 12 months.

Former President Trump has referred repeatedly to COVID-19 as the “China virus” and “kung flu” despite concerns that the rhetoric is contributing to racism against Asian Americans.