Grammy-nominated K-Pop band BTS have condemned the rising case of anti-Asian crimes. The band of seven members tweeted a statement, both in English as well as in Korean, and said, “ We stand against racial discrimination.”  They added, “ We condemn violence. You and I, we all have the right to be respected.”

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The band also expressed condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the US recently in a shooting incident, saying that they felt “grief and anger.” They also recalled moments where they too had faced discrimination for being Asian.

The statement read, “We have endured expletive without reason and were mocked for the way we looked.. We were also asked why Asian spoke in English.”

BTS statement came after after a mass shooting killed atleast eight people, including six Asians, at spas in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, the primary suspect in the Boulder mass shootout case, was arrested soon after the incident. According to the police, he bought the Ruger AR-556 pistol gun legally from Eagles Nest Armory in Arvada city. 

The store owner, where the shooter purchased the gun from, said the shooter passed a background check before the purchase.