February 28, 2017
The Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area (AABA) grieves with the family of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, who was killed on February 22, 2017, at a restaurant bar and grill in Olathe, Kansas. According to multiple news articles, while he was dining out with his friend and colleague, Alok Madasani, a white gunman shouted racist and xenophobic remarks at them, such as “get out of my country” before the gunman fired multiple shots at them. A bystander who attempted to deescalate the situation, Ian Grillot, was also shot and injured by the gunman. We stand in solidarity with the victims' family, friends, and community, to seek justice for this senseless act of hate. And we give heartfelt thanks to the heroism of Mr. Grillot who stood up against hatred.
AABA urges the District Attorney of Johnson County, Kansas and the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute this brutal hate crime to the fullest extent of the law. “To call this crime for what it is – a hate crime -- is critical. It stokes fear and violence against immigrants and people of Muslim faith, and we must all stand up against it,” said AABA President Hung Chang. As a bar association founded over 40 years ago to serve the interests of Asian Pacific American (APA) attorneys and the broader APA community, AABA understands the dangers of bias-motivated violence. AABA calls all elected officials and its members to condemn all forms of hate crimes, bigotry, and xenophobia as completely inconsistent with this country's values of equality and justice.