Greece sends support to US after two mass shootings leave 29 dead

Greece’s President Prokopios Pavlopoulos sent a message of support to the US following two mass shootings in the US; one in El Paso, Texas, which killed 20 people and the second in Dayton, Ohio which left nine people dead.

The first assault occurred on Saturday morning in the border city of El Paso in Texas, where a gunman killed 20 people at a Walmart store before surrendering to the police.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the gun assault appeared to be a hate crime, and police cited a "manifesto" they attributed to the suspect, 21-year-old Patrick Crusius, as evidence that the bloodshed was racially motivated.

"The Secretary General of the Presidency of the Hellenic Republic, Ambassador Georgios Gennimatas, contacted the US Ambassador to Athens, Geoffrey Pyatt today to express the repugnance, deep sorrow and condolences of the President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopios Pavlopoulos, to President Trump, the American people and the families of the victims, regarding the bloody attacks at El Paso in Texas and Dayton in Ohio."

In a statement released on Sunday, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew also expressed his revulsion and deep shock at the tragic mass shootings.

Patriarch Bartholomew said he strongly condemns "all acts of hatred, be it racial, religious or social, but also any form of violence and fundamentalism, wherever they may come from."

"Hate and violence," he pointed out, "cause a great deal of pain and fear, and are sometimes the cause of further acts of violence in the form of revenge. In the face of this rising, dangerous and bloody phenomenon, every person of good will must display strong spiritual resistance."

He called on all people "to work, through dialogue and in a spirit of mutual respect, to preserve peaceful coexistence and cooperation, against practices that boost fear and divide society."

"The Holy Church of Christ, with faith in the teaching of our Lord, is making strenuous efforts in this direction. The Church prays for the resting of the victims' souls, and expresses its heartfelt condolences to their families, and wishes courage and speedy recovery to the injured. At the same time, it expresses its sympathy and support for the local community of El Paso as well as Dayton, the US government and people in the US," said the Patriarchate.

The Ecumenical Patriarch asked the Archbishop of America Elpidoforos to convey the above message of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to local and national authorities and to the people of the United States at large.

*Main Source: AMNA