Josh Gad revealed on Twitter that his friend’s son was one of the 17 people killed in the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, on Wednesday, February 14.
“I am so angry tonight. I am so sad. I’m putting my phone down because we are debating sensible gun laws again,” the Frozen voice actor, 36, tweeted on Wednesday, February 14. “A child of one of our friend’s has a bullet in his chest & is critical condition because a 19 year old had access to a military weapon. Pretend it’s normal. It’s not.”
The next morning, Gad shared a devastating update with his followers: The teenager had died. “Last night, I received a text while I slept that our friend’s son passed away from his gun shot wound. My grief for this family and the many others knows no bounds. I’m so sorry this happened. I’m so sorry our leaders are worthless. I’m so sorry we are bound to repeat this again,” he wrote.
The Beauty and the Beast actor, who grew up in Florida, went on to write that he has “walked the halls” of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where the massacre occurred. “I call this community my own,” he tweeted. “I think all of us know in our hearts something is terribly wrong with the weekly rate of these incidents. I will not lecture any of you on what to believe of how to respond. I will only tell you what I am going to do.”
“I am going to make it my life’s goal to support and vote for every single person who challenges a politician with NRA money behind them,” he continued. “I am going to make sure that I read and educate myself as to why certain people refuse to do anything that resembles sensible gun laws and make sure they face early retirement. I am going to be here as a voice of reason and walk proudly and tall through the echoing winds of madness as we continue to demand action in a familiar sea of inaction. And finally I am going to remember the 17 dead, the many injured, and the thousands of others who have senselessly lost their lives to gun violence and I am going to fight in their name so that other parents and siblings never have to expiereince [sic] such trauma. That is what I’m going to do. The question is…what are you going to do?”
The shooting suspect, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder, one for each of the casualties. He had been expelled from the school last year for disciplinary reasons.
I am so angry tonight. I am so sad. I’m putting my phone down because we are debating sensible gun laws again. A child of one of our friend’s has a bullet in his chest & is critical condition because a 19 year old had access to a military weapon. Pretend it’s normal. It’s not.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) February 15, 2018
Last night, I received a text while I slept that our friend’s son passed away from his gun shot wound. My grief for this family and the many others knows no bounds. I’m so sorry this happened. I’m so sorry our leaders are worthless. I’m so sorry we are bound to repeat this again.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) February 15, 2018
1) Thread – I have said everything I care to say about the massacre in FL. I have walked the halls of Stoneman Douglass. I directly know a person trying to pick up the shattered pieces of his life now. I call this community my own.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) February 15, 2018
2) I think all of us know in our hearts something is terribly wrong with the weekly rate of these incidents. I will not lecture any of you on what to believe of how to respond. I will only tell you what I am going to do.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) February 15, 2018
3) I am going to make it my life’s goal to support and vote for every single person who challenges a politician with NRA money behind them.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) February 15, 2018
4) I am going to make sure that I read and educate myself as to why certain people refuse to do anything that resembles sensible gun laws and make sure they face early retirement.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) February 15, 2018
5) I am going to be here as a voice of reason and walk proudly and tall through the echoing winds of madness as we continue to demand action in a familiar sea of inaction.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) February 15, 2018
6) And finally I am going to remember the 17 dead, the many injured, and the thousands of others who have senselessly lost their lives to gun violence and I am going to fight in their name so that other parents and siblings never have to expiereince such trauma.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) February 15, 2018
7) That is what I’m going to do. The question is…what are you going to do?
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) February 15, 2018
