Miami Heat call for 'meaningful reform' after devastating Florida State University shooting
On Thursday evening, the Miami Heat posted a statement condemning the shooting that took place at Florida State University (FSU) earlier that day. The incident involved a 20-year-old FSU student opening fire and claiming the lives of at least two individuals while injuring six others, as per news reports.
In a tweet posted shortly before 11:00 p.m. ET, the Heat expressed empathy by highlighting the organization's FSU ties:
"We are devastated by the senseless gun violence that claimed innocent lives in our state. Many members of our Heat family are Florida State alumni as well as parents of current students, some of whom had chairs wedged under their dorm doors to barricade themselves inside," the Heat's post read.
The post added some context regarding the timing of this incident before calling for significant action to prevent situations like this from happening in the future:
"These students should be preparing for finals, not wondering if they should prepare to say final goodbyes. How many more of these events must take place before meaningful reform is enacted to end this epidemic?"
The alleged gunman, who was shot by police and taken to a medical facility, used a former service weapon in the possession of his mother, a sheriff's deputy.
According to a report by Associated Press, the six individuals who were injured in the shooting are now in "fair condition." Meanwhile, as per NBC News' Rebecca Cohen, the alleged gunman is said to have sustained "serious but non-life-threatening injuries."
Miami Heat celebrate contributions of veterans to play-in victory over Bulls
Amidst the chaos that transpired in FSU, the Heat will have to refocus and bring their A-game as they take on the Atlanta Hawks on Friday to secure the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
After defeating the Chicago Bulls in the #9 vs #10 matchup on Wednesday, the Heat acknowledged the contributions of their veteran players:
"Always helpful to have experienced vets on the floor," Miami tweeted.
The post featured a picture of rookie Kel'el Ware in a huddle with four seasoned players, all of whom had an important contributions to the Heat's win over the Bulls: Tyler Herro (38 points, five rebounds, four assists), Bam Adebayo (15 points, 12 rebounds), Alec Burks (two points, three rebounds, two steals, one block), and Andrew Wiggins (20 points, nine rebounds).
The combination of veteran smarts and young legs will be crucial for the Heat to overcome the Hawks in their upcoming road game.