Dwyane Wade speaks out on gun violence after cousin’s murder

Dwyane Wade found out that his first cousin was shot and killed on Friday afternoon on the South Side of Chicago and spoke his mind on Twitter that evening.

According to WGN-TV, Chicago Bulls guard Dwayne Wade’s first cousin Nykia Aldridge was murdered on Friday afternoon on the South Side of Chicago in what appears to be “an unintended victim of a gang shooting.” Aldridge was 32 years old and a mother of four.

Wade grew up in Chicagoland area and finally gets the chance to star for his hometown team after signing a multi-year deal with the Bulls this offseason. He starred collegiately in Milwaukee at Marquette University and was the greatest player in the history of the Miami Heat from 2003 to 2016.

However, Chicago will always be his hometown. Wade took to Twitter on Friday evening after finding out about the awful news about his first cousin.

Gun violence has been an unfortunate part of the American landscape the last few years. Wade would go on to point out how really bad this type of crime is in his native Chicago, stating that “every 16 minutes someone in Chicago is killed by a firearm.”

Wade is one of those few players in the NBA today that is universally adored. He’s a future Basketball Hall of Famer, one of the greatest teammates any player could ask for, and one of the best ambassadors the NBA has.

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The Chicago police have questioned the two primary suspects in the shooting of Aldridge on Friday afternoon. Condolences go out to Wade and his extended family on this senseless tragedy.