CAPAC Chair Reacts to Kansas Shootings in Jewish Community

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, two Jewish facilities were targeted by a gunman in the Kansas City suburbs of Overland Park and Leawood, Kansas. The shooting, which came on the eve of the Jewish holiday of Passover, claimed three lives and is believed to be a hate crime carried out by a former Ku Klux Klan leader. Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), released the following statement in reaction to this tragic event:

“I am shocked and saddened by the senseless violence that claimed three lives this weekend in Kansas. My heartfelt thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims and everyone affected by this tragedy.

“Our children and senior citizens are among society’s most vulnerable members, and to see them targeted for their religious faith is especially appalling. Such hatred has no place in a nation that values justice and religious freedom.

“As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and Co-Chair of the American Sikh Congressional Caucus, I join every American in rejecting bigotry and hate. We all have the right to worship freely and to feel safe in our communities regardless of our race or religious background. It is my sincere hope that we come together as a nation to fight intolerance in our society and prevent incidents like this from happening again.”

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The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) is comprised of Members of Congress of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and Members who have a strong dedication to promoting the well-being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Currently chaired by Congresswoman Judy Chu, CAPAC has been addressing the needs of the AAPI community in all areas of American life since it was founded in 1994.