Account
LeBron James Posts on Social Media to Condemn Ahmaud Arbery Killing
May 6, 2020
LeBron James took to social media Wednesday to condemn the death of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old Georgia man who was killed by two men while jogging in February.
James wrote:
LeBron James @KingJamesWe’re literally hunted EVERYDAY/EVERYTIME we step foot outside the comfort of our homes! Can’t even go for a damn jog man! Like WTF man are you kidding me?!?!?!?!?!? No man fr ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!! I’m sorry Ahmaud(Rest In Paradise) and my prayers and blessings sent to the..... https://t.co/r1PNxs8Vgn
The post also included the hashtag #ProfiledCauseWeAreSimplyBlack.
Per Angela Barajas and Amir Vera of CNN, Arbery's death made national headlines this week when video surfaced of him being shot and killed in Brunswick, Georgia by two white men. The men said they believed Arbery, who is black, was involved in recent burglaries in the area.
Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis, were the men who chased down Arbery before the fatal shooting, though neither has been charged with a crime.
District Attorney Thomas Durden said Tuesday that he plans to bring the case before a grand jury, per Barajas and Vera. Durden is the third district attorney to handle the case after the prior two recused themselves over conflicts of interest.
Gregory McMichael is a former police officer who also worked as an investigator for the Brunswick District Attorney.
According to the original police report, Gregory McMichael said he and his son chased down Arbery because he fit the description of someone who had been breaking into homes in their neighborhood. He then said there was an altercation in which Arbery "violently attacked" Travis.
"[Gregory McMichael] told officers Arbery 'violently attacked' his son, the [police] report said, and they struggled over the gun. Travis McMichael fired two shots, the report said, and Arbery fell," per Barajas and Vera.
The video released this week shows a man jogging down the street before eventually getting into a physical altercation with a man who was holding a shotgun. During the struggle, a total of three shots were fired and the jogger collapses in the street after the third shot.
James has spoken out on a number of occasions against police violence against people of color and systemic racism. He was one of many NBA players who wore shirts saying "I Can't Breathe" in 2014 after Eric Garner was killed by a New York police officer while repeatedly telling the officer he couldn't breathe.
At the 2016 ESPYs ceremony, James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony called for athletes to speak out against racial injustice and gun violence.