Magic Ex Evan Fournier On Texas Shooting: 'Take All The Guns Away'
Former Orlando Magic standout Evan Fournier, now with the New York Knicks, is the latest name in the basketball world to join the conversation around gun control in the wake of several firearm-based tragedies in the United States.
Following the latest incident at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, left 19 children dead on Tuesday, which came only 10 days after a shooting in a Buffalo supermarket killed 10 others, Fournier called for a complete abolition of firearms.
"Take ALL the guns away," Fournier said on Twitter. "Stop selling them and take the rest away."
Fournier's native France is known for its stricter gun laws, ones that do not allow loaded weapons in public and also require as physical and mental fitness tests. French President Emmanuel Macron labeled the attack "cowardly" and said his country shared "the rage of those who are fighting to end the violence".
Fournier engaged another French-speaking user who claimed that his approach was "demagogic" and cited the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. The user also expressed support for Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr's widely-shared plea for tightened background checks.
Fournier, however, stated that such a law would not have been able to stop the Texas shooting and doubled down on his position.
"Is (the Second Amendment) the ultimate excuse for kids and innocents to keep getting killed every week?" he asked. "Your head is not well. What background did the killer have?"
Athletes throughout the sports world have expressed grief and anger over this month's tragic events. Kerr's comments were at the forefront of an emotional weight carried over Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals in Dallas. A moment of silence was held prior to the Eastern Conference between Boston and Miami on Wednesday.
"We send our condolences to our fellow Texans and we'll keep them in our hearts," Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said prior to the game. "We truly will play with heavy hearts tonight for the community, for the school of Robb Elementary School."
