Ian Grillot, one of the victims of a triple shooting in Kansas that witnesses described as racially motivated, called for President Donald Trump to address the shooting during his speech to Congress Tuesday.
“I would like to hear him address it, because it is a very sensitive subject right now,” Grillot told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota. “The simple fact that nothing has been addressed about it at this time, it is saddening to see that.”
He said that many people are “in mourning” about the shooting.
“It’s happening all over the world,” Grillot said. “People are just emotionally distraught about this entire situation, so it would be nice to have some kind of address about it and a little bit of closure for everybody in mourning and everybody struggling with this.”
The Kansas City Star editorial board on Monday called Trump’s lack of comment on the shooting “disquieting.”
“At some point, embarrassingly late begins to verge on something more disquieting,” the board wrote in an editorial. “President Donald Trump has silently planted himself in that space.”
The editorial called on Trump to “condemn such hateful acts” and address the shooting during his speech Tuesday night.
“The country and the world will be watching,” the board wrote. “He should use the opportunity to thoughtfully — and belatedly — address this brazen act of violence. Because with each passing day, Trump’s silence is even more telling.”
As the editorial noted, Hillary Clinton also called for Trump to “step up” in a tweet posted Monday.
With threats & hate crimes on rise, we shouldn’t have to tell @POTUS to do his part. He must step up & speak out.https://t.co/QKKyXyuqNM
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) February 27, 2017
Adam Purinton, a 51-year-old resident of Olathe, was arrested Thursday in connection with the triple shooting and charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree attempted murder. He made his first court appearance on Monday.
Purinton allegedly shouted “get out of my country” before opening fire at a bar on Wednesday night.
He later told a bartender at a different location that he had killed two Iranian men, according to recordings of a 911 call the bartender made.
“He said that he shot and killed two Iranian people,” the bartender told the dispatcher. “He made me promise that I wouldn’t call police.”
Two of the victims in the shooting, Alok Madasani and Srinivas Kuchibhotla, were immigrants from India. Grillot, a bystander, was shot in the hand and chest while intervening.
“KS Survivor Says Trump Should Discuss Shooting During Address To Congress.”
Sure he should. He won’t.
But we will hear about his “landslide victory” about 57 times, so there is that.
I don’t think so.
It would involve compassion and a rudimentary grasp of reality, two items not in the possession of Mr. Trump
I don’t know…after blaming President Obama for his protesters and a long riff about the Oscars, I doubt there will be much time.
It’s too confusing for him. He won’t be able to comment until he understands why a white person would sacrifice his safety to protect those awful others.
I want to know why the media didn’t report this as a terrorist attack! Oh wait, the terrorist was white. I hadn’t even heard of this until two days later. The racism in this country and even by the media isn’t even subtle anymore.