Lakers hold moment of silence to honor victims in Atlanta massage parlor shootings
The Los Angeles Lakers held a moment of silence before their matchup with the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night at the Staples Center in honor of the eight people who were killed in a series of Atlanta massage parlor shootings on Tuesday.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 19, 2021
“The Lakers family was saddened to hear of the events late Tuesday night in Atlanta Georgia where eight people lost their lives in an act of anti-Asian racism,” the team said in a statement before the moment of silence. “As an organization, the Lakers stand in solidarity with the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community and are committed to taking action towards being a part of the change we want to see take place.”
#StopAAPIHate pic.twitter.com/MUm9QJFDcv
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 19, 2021
A 21-year-old man was arrested and charged with eight counts of murder after allegedly killing eight people at three different Atlanta area massage parlors on Tuesday night. Six of the victims were women of Asian descent, something that has sparked even more fear and outrage throughout the Asian-American community.
Athletes and others in the sports world, including former NBA star Jeremy Lin, have been speaking out about the rise in Asian-American violence and hate in recent weeks. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Steve Kerr and Trae Young were just a handful within the NBA who spoke out to condemn Tuesday’s shooting.
James called the alleged shooter a “coward a** young man” in a tweet on Tuesday night.
My condolences goes out to the families of all the victims and the entire Asian community tonight on what transpired in Atlanta at the Aromatherapy Spa. Coward a** young man!! Just senseless and tragic!! 🙏🏾❤️👑
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 17, 2021
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