Biden on US shooting: 'White supremacy will not have the last word'

Access to the comments Comments
By Mark Armstrong  with AP
President Joe Biden speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 17, 2022
President Joe Biden speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 17, 2022   -  Copyright  Credit: AP

US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill paid their respects to the victims of the US' latest mass shooting in Buffalo, New York State.

Their first stop was at a makeshift memorial outside the supermarket where the attack took place.

A gunman opened fire on Saturday killing 10 people in what is believed to have been a racially motivated hate crime.

In a speech at a nearby community centre, Biden called for stricter gun laws and urged Americans to reject racism and embrace the nation's diversity.

"Jill and I bring you this message from deep in our nation's soul," Biden said. "In America, evil will not win, I promise you. Hate will not prevail, and white supremacy will not have the last word."

The president went on to say that the 18-year-old suspect, who had identified himself as a fascist and white nationalist in a document posted online, belonged to "a hateful minority".