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A gunman opened fire in a Thousand Oaks, CA, bar on Wednesday evening, killing 13 people including himself. Incredibly, the incident is the 307th mass shooting in 2018, and took place on the 311th day of the year.
Before Thursday night’s game vs. the Milwaukee Bucks, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was asked if he cared to comment on the incident. His answer was somber.
“Only that I just feel devastated for the victims and their families,” Kerr said. “I read a lot about it today. It’s just horrifying and so sad for the families involved and for the young people who lost their lives.
“It’s devastating for everybody, and I know we’re going to have a moment of silence out here tonight. We had one last week and I think we’re probably going to have one next week. That’s the reality until we do something about it.”
The Thousand Oaks shooting comes less than two weeks after 11 people were killed in a synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, PA.
“Nothing surprises me anymore,” Kerr told the San Jose Mercury News. “There are shootings at schools and churches and synagogues. Malls, movie theaters, We need our leaders to step up and unite the country with the appropriate words and appropriate actions. We’re not getting that right now. It’s frustrating.”
Kerr has been an outspoken gun control advocate for years, and has frequently spoken on the topic during his time as Warriors head coach. Kerr’s father Malcolm was a victim of gun violence in 1984, when he was assassinated in a terrorist act in Beirut.