Gents, Kerr React to Sacramento Mass Taking pictures

Gentlemen, Kerr React to Sacramento Mass Shooting

Because the Kings ready to host the Warriors Sunday night time, coaches Alvin Gentry and Steve Kerr spoke of the mass taking pictures simply blocks from the Golden 1 Heart in Sacramento that left six useless and greater than a dozen injured early Sunday morning.

“It is an unbelievable tragedy,” Gentry mentioned whereas within the media earlier than the match. “I hope this doesn’t put a black eye on our metropolis. … It’s a pity that one thing like that is taking place these days in an atmosphere the place everyone seems to be simply attempting to have enjoyable, and have an excellent time. The Venice factor has to vary… It’s a extremely unhappy day.”

Kerr didn’t take any basketball-related questions throughout pre-game availability previous to his workforce’s 109-90 victory and solely talked about taking pictures.

“Many lives have been destroyed,” he mentioned. “Everybody with the Warriors, we share your metropolis’s grief. There’s not a lot you are able to do or say, however we’re all damaged right now.”

Kerr, whose father was shot useless in a terrorist assault in Beirut in 1984, has lengthy been vocal on the problem of gun violence and has spent most of his profession advocating for these in energy for stronger gun legal guidelines.

“We’ll have a second of silence earlier than the sport, which is the correct factor to do, however I will be sincere, that is the ninth or tenth second of silence that I will reside because the Warriors head coach after we grieve the losses of people that have died in mass shootings,” Kerr mentioned. “I do not suppose moments of silence would do something. In some unspecified time in the future, our authorities has to determine whether or not we’ve got cheap gun legal guidelines.

“80 to 90 % of People assist background checks. And you consider all of the widespread sense legal guidelines that we will and may put in place. If we had any guts, if our authorities had the heart, if it put different individuals forward of their profession paths, their reelection campaigns, In entrance of their very own publicity – it is proper in entrance of us.”

Sacramento police say at the very least two shooters opened hearth within the downtown space round 2 a.m. PT, simply as bars and nightclubs closed for the night time and crowds emptied into the streets.

The situation of the taking pictures was two blocks from the state capitol constructing and never removed from the Warriors workforce lodge. Nobody within the Golden State was conscious of the taking pictures when it occurred, and the workforce solely came upon about it in a while Sunday morning.

“It occurs in church buildings, it occurs in colleges, it occurs downtown right here in Sacramento,” Kerr mentioned. “In some unspecified time in the future, I hope we’ll really take into consideration our fellow residents and do one thing about it, as an alternative of doing politics. As a result of that is all we do.”

Further police patrols downtown forward of Sunday’s sport.

Data from the Related Press is included on this report.