Joe Biden has called on all Americans to reject the “poison” of white supremacy following a racially-motivated mass shooting at a US supermarket.
The US president and the first lady have paid their respects at a makeshift memorial after the deadly attack in and around the store in the city of Buffalo.
Mr Biden and his wife Jill met families of the 10 victims who were all black, as well as first responders and local officials.
The couple laid a bouquet of flowers at the memorial of blossoms, candles and messages of condolence, outside the Tops store.
Three other people were injured in last Saturday’s massacre.
Mr Biden condemned the “poison” of white supremacy, saying: “In America, evil will not win, I promise you. Hate will not prevail, white supremacy will not have the last word.”
He added: “Now is the time for the people of all races, from every background, to speak up as a majority in America and reject white supremacy.
“These actions we’ve seen in these hate-filled attacks represent the views of a hateful minority. We can’t allow them to distort America, the real America. We can’t allow them to destroy the soul of the nation.”
A young man armed with an assault rifle targeted black people in the deadliest racist attack in the US since Mr Biden took office.
Authorities are calling the shooting an act of “violent extremism” motivated by racial hatred.
Suspected white supremacist Payton Gendron, 18, was arrested at the supermarket and charged with murder. He has pleaded not guilty.
Before the shooting, Gendron is reported to have posted an online diatribe full of racism and antisemitism.
