Thursday, March 28, 2024

LeBron James Pushes Gun Control Amid Cleveland’s Rash of Child Shootings

LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the Cleveland Cavaliers media day at Cleveland Clinic Courts on September 28, 2015 in Independence, Ohio
LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the Cleveland Cavaliers media day at Cleveland Clinic Courts on September 28, 2015 in Independence, Ohio

*LeBron James spoke out Friday about his support for stronger gun laws while addressing the current rash of child shootings in Cleveland.

The Cleveland Cavaliers superstar reacted on social media Thursday to the first reports of a fatal shooting of 5-month-old Aavielle Wakefield on Cleveland’s east side.

About the time James was tweeting his thoughts on the shooting – the third killing by gunfire of a child in Cleveland in a month – a frustrated President Obama was on television calling for sensible gun legislation in reaction to Thursday’s mass killing at Oregon’s Umpqua Community College.

James said he didn’t hear Obama’s speech, but “I know what I see. I know how I feel.

“Obviously you’re not going to be able to take every gun out, I don’t know how you can do that,” James said, according to Cleveland.com. “There’s so many around now, today. But if there’s some stipulations behind it or some penalties, some big time penalties or rules or regulations about carrying firearms, legal or illegal, people will second-guess themselves.”

Aavielle Wakefield
Aavielle Wakefield

James said he saw news of the child Aavielle Wakefield’s shooting break across his phone while he was sitting at home with his three children and “it automatically just hit me.”

James also said he believes the work he’s doing through the LeBron James Family Foundation in Akron Public Schools, where his charitable organization is mentoring at-risk youths from the third grade through graduation, will help keep kids away from guns by keeping them engaged in positive activities.

“I think what we’re doing is controlling some of the violence,” he said.

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