Mamdani Visits Queens Temple After Illinois Attack; Says Hindu Americans Must Worship In Peace
New York, United States: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited Om Shakti temple in Queens, where gunman shot at masses earlier this month wounding several people.
Referring to an attempted mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Illinois, which was foiled, Mamdani said protecting religious communities and allowing them to worship without fear was a collective responsibility.
“I know I am standing here not that long since an attempted mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Illinois. We have the responsibility to ensure Hindu-Americans can worship in peace and safety,” the mayor said while speaking to a gathering at the temple.
The mayor was seen wearing a grey suit and later sporting a red tilak on his forehead while speaking to devotees at the temple. He stressed the importance of ensuring that Hindu-Americans can practise their faith without fear. The shooter allegedly arrived at the place of worship with a rifle, allegedly with racist thoughts of mass killing.
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Officials discovered AR-style rifle, loaded magazines, approximately 300 rounds of ammunition, body armour and tactical equipment during search in the accused shooter’s residence. Notably, the officials also found material containing Nazi imagery and an eight-page manifesto expressing white supremacist and neo-Nazi views.
The materials also included hateful references to non-white communities, particularly people of Indian descent, and described plans for mass violence. The officials also believe that the accused teenager was planning a mass shooting for nearly two years and had focused on the Hindu temple for approximately two months before the incident.
