'Makes No Sense': LeBron James Slams 'Ridiculous' US Gun Laws after Las Vegas Shooting

‘Makes No Sense’: LeBron James Slams ‘Ridiculous’ US Gun Laws after Las Vegas Shooting

Basketball icon LeBron James called for tougher US gun laws on Wednesday after a shooting at a Las Vegas college campus left three people dead as the Nevada city prepared to host the NBA’s in-season tournament finale.

The 38-year-old superstar has been an advocate for tighter gun control legislation over the years. His latest remarks came after he arrived in the city for the Los Angeles Lakers’ semi-final clash with the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday. Jame spoke to reporters just hours after a gunman killed three people and left one critically injured in a shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas earlier Wednesday.

“First of all, my condolences go to the families that lost loved ones, families and friends and everything,” James said. “It just goes back to what I said before about guns in America. I think it’s such a longer conversation, but we keep dealing with the same story, this same conversation everybody single time it happens, and it just continues to happen.

“The ability to get a gun, the ability to do these things over and over and over, and there’s been no change, is literally ridiculous. “It makes no sense that we continue to lose innocent lives, on campuses, schools, at shopping markets and movie theaters. “It’s ridiculous. The fact that we haven’t changed anything — it’s actually been easier to be able to own a firearm. It’s stupid.”

James had frequently waded into the gun control debate over the years, notably after the 2018 shooting at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California, that left 12 people dead. He also issued a rallying cry against gun violence and racial injustice at the 2016 ESPY Awards, urging fellow players to educate themselves and help strengthen communities.

Las Vegas is a gambling and entertainment hub that attracts millions of visitors every year. The city was also the scene of one of America’s deadliest-ever mass shootings, when a gunman opened fire on a crowded music festival in 2017, killing 60 people. The United Staes has recorded over 600 mass shootings this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

(With agency inputs)