WASHINGTON: The White House commemorated the one-year anniversary of a deadly shooting spree in Atlanta, Georgia, in the southeastern state of the United States.

Robert Aaron Long, a male white gunman, killed eight individuals at three Atlanta spas on March 16, 2021, six of them were Asian women. US President Joe Biden tweeted on Wednesday that the gunman targeted Asian-owned businesses. "As we remember the victims, we must endeavour to create a future free of fear," he added.

Biden signed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act at the White House later that day. In his remarks, Biden said, "This bill broke the dam of congressional and societal resistance, and it pulled this secret disease out of the shadows."

The anniversary was also commemorated by Vice President Kamala Harris, who termed the shootings "a horrible attack." "We must do all in our power to protect all Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities from violence, discrimination, and fear," Harris said. Long was accused of a slew of offences. He pleaded guilty to charges brought by Cherokee County and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release.

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