Patrick Mahomes advocates for solutions in gun control debate two months after fatal Super Bowl parade shooting
Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany tried to help in any way they could after the shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs championship parade. The couple went to the hospital to visit two young sisters who were shot in the legs at the parade. They also donated $50,000 to a fund the Chiefs have to help the victims and first responders in these situations.
Despite many of his counterparts, including Travis Kelce, calling for gun control in the wake of that, Mahomes didn't. There were calls for him to make such a plea, but he remained silent in that regard.
As for why, Mahomes said via TIME:
“I continue to educate myself."
The Kansas City Chiefs star continued, citing a need to learn more about any situation before he makes a comment:
“I don't want to make a quick response to something that takes a lot of education to really learn and make a swaying comment based off that. But I know we have to find a solution of some way to make this stuff stop.”
Mahomes knows he's an influential figure and what he says carries power. Therefore, he doesn't want to say something out of a place of ignorance. In his mind, it's better to be silent in that scenario.
Patrick Mahomes has been politically active before
Despite staying relatively out of the gun control political debate this time, Patrick Mahomes has waded into political territory before. He famously got involved with the NFL's video about George Floyd and Colin Kaepernick.
He also joined up with LeBron James to encourage people to get out and vote, saying according to TIME:
“I don’t want to pressure anyone to vote for a certain President. I want people to use their voice, whoever they believe in. I want them to do the research.”
He is mostly uninvolved with that world now as he focuses on football and family, but he's not apolitical. Despite not saying a lot for the gun control conversation, Mahomes has stated his opinions before. He just did so when he was confident in his knowledge and education and not out of ignorance to fit a trend.