Reports: Shaquille O'Neal to pay funeral expenses for 3-year-old Louisiana kid killed by a stray bullet
Former NBA and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal will take care of the funeral expenses of three-year-old Devin Page Jr. The boy was killed by a stray bullet while sleeping in bed on April 12th and the investigation is ongoing, according to reports.
The three-year-old had just started preschool and was sleeping inside his house when a stray bullet hit him. The incident occurred in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Shaquille O'Neal played for Louisiana State University before he was drafted into the NBA by the Orlando Magic as the number one overall pick in 1992.
This was not O'Neal's first act of kindness as he paid for the funeral of a seven-year-old girl back in 2019. There was another incident in 2017 when a 13-year-old boy accidentally shot himself while filming himself live on Instagram.
Former NBA player Shaquille O'Neal (@SHAQ) will pay the entirety of the funeral expenses for the 3-year-old boy recently killed by a stray bullet while in bed.
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Shaquille O'Neal's philanthropic acts
It is well known that O'Neal has a big heart, literally and figuratively. Nicknamed "Diesel," the former Miami Heat superstar has amassed a fortune from his playing career, which has only grown in the years following his retirement.
However, with that much money, Shaq has always tried to repay people less fortunate than himself. He has always shown tremendous kindness to people in need. One such instance was when Shaquille O'Neal helped a man out by paying for the wedding ring he was in line to buy at a jewelry store.
.@SHAQ saw this young man buying an engagement ring and decided to pay for it 👏
(via @shaqfu_radio) https://t.co/svMeqCT3e4
Another such instance occurred when O'Neal saw two boys loitering inside an Apple store and bought them two brand new Apple laptops.
Another act of kindness was when O'Neal paid for the furniture a lady was buying for her autistic daughter. When asked about it, O'Neal said:
"This is something I do every day. The other day my wife and I were furniture shopping. And this lady, she had this autistic daughter. She was looking to pay for some furniture. I just took care of it."
While he may have wreaked havoc on the court during his playing days, Shaquille O'Neal, despite all his wealth, remains genuine and grounded. He always helps out people in need whenever he can. None of this is for the cameras. It's just who he is.