New York:US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have commemorated the ninth anniversary of the 2012 mass shooting at the gurdwara in Oak Creek that claimed the lives of seven Sikhs, according to the White House. Six Sikhs were killed in the August 5, 2012, attack in which four people, including a police officer, were injured and one person died last year from the wounds sustained in the shooting.
The shooter, described as a White supremacist, committed suicide by shooting himself when police responded. Sikh community leaders have welcomed an earlier tweet by Biden on the anniversary of the Oak Tree gurdwara attack. Biden said in his tweet: "Nine years ago today, we witnessed an act of unspeakable hate as a white supremacist shot 10 people at a Sikh Temple. As we remember those we lost in Oak Creek, we must continue to stand up to hate and bigotry and ensure that all can practice their faith without fear."
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Sikh Council on Religion and Education Chairman, Rajwant Singh said: "We are thankful to President Biden for his compassion and a strong stand against hate and violence. The Sikh community was shaken by this tragedy and our community still is concerned about the hate-filled rhetoric being condoned by some political interest groups."