Getty Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reacted to Saturday's Pittsburgh shooting.
Steve Kerr reacted to Saturday’s tragic shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh by saying mass shootings no longer surprise him.
“It’s just devastating,” the Golden State Warriors head coach told reporters ahead of his team’s road matchup with the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. “I just expect it now and that’s the sad thing.
“I remember watching an interview with a student after the Santa Fe shooting in Texas, Santa Fe High School. This is a 14-year-old girl, and she was asked, ‘Did this shock you?’ and she said, ‘No, I kind of expected that this would happen to us at our school at some point.’ And that’s where we’ve gotten as a country, we’re broken right now. So nothing surprises us anymore, nothing surprises me anymore.
“Other shootings at schools, churches, synagogues, malls, movie theaters. We need our leaders to step up and unite the country with the appropriate words, the appropriate actions, and we’re not getting that right now. It’s frustrating and I don’t know what else to say.”
Eleven were killed and six others were injured in the shooting. Robert D. Bowers, 46, was charged with 29 counts, including obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs, a hate crime.
A reporter asked Kerr why other coaches aren’t as vocal about political issues as he is.
“I don’t know, I’m not sure,” Kerr replied. “I think you have to feel comfortable talking about whatever issue you’re addressing, and not everyone feels comfortable in certain circumstances. But I think more and more you’re seeing people in the sports world — athletes and coaches — speaking out because the times call for it. It’s easy to feel how broken we are right now, our country is. Everybody can have influence, not just our political leaders.”
Kerr Concerned for Self in Wake of Mass Bombings
A vocal critic of President Donald Trump, Kerr told reporters on Friday that he was cocerned for his safety after several of the president’s detractors had received improvised explosive devices in the mail. Cesar Sayoc, a 56-year-old from Florida, was arrested for the bombing attempts. So far, 13 have been discovered.
“A little bit,” Kerr said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “I think we should all be concerned. No matter who you are, you need to be concerned. Not just about the bombs, but just the country we live in these days. Innocent people get killed and innocent people get shot. It’s a dangerous time to be alive right now.”