Police shootings have made headlines this week after two people were killed in two separate shootings by police earlier this week, before more gun violence erupted at a protest in Dallas claiming the lives of members of the police department there. Athletes across the nation reacted to the shootings via social media.
The first shooting happened in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Tuesday, July 5. Alton Sterling, a 37-year old black man, was selling CDs outside a convenience store when a homeless man approached him and asked him for money. Sterling told the man to leave him alone and allegedly showed him his gun before the homeless man called 911, according to CNN. Police arrived to investigate the 911 call and after an encounter with two white police officers Sterling was shot and killed. Video of the shooting, which has been shared on social media and by many news outlets, shows officers on top of Sterling before he was shot at close range.
The second shooting happened in Minnesota on Wednesday. Philando Castile, a black man, was pulled over for a broken taillight and told the officer that he was armed and had a concealed carry permit, CNN noted. The white policeman allegedly told Castile not to reach for the gun and when Castile was reaching for his wallet the officer believed he was reaching for the gun and shot him. Video of the incident was streamed live on Facebook by Castile’s fiancé, Diamond Reynolds.
Then on Thursday night, Micah Xavier Johnson shot and killed five police officers at a Dallas protest over the previous shootings. Athletes reacted to the shootings on social media and called for the violence to stop.