Days after footage of Ahmaud Arbery's death made the rounds on social media, NBA superstar LeBron James took to social media to condemn the killing of the 25-year-old, which took place in Georgia on February 23.
"We're literally hunted EVERYDAY/EVERYTIME we step foot outside the comfort of our homes! Can't even go for a damn jog man! Like WTF man are you kidding me?!?!?!?!?!? No man [for real] ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!! I'm sorry Ahmaud (Rest In Paradise) and my prayers and blessings sent to the... heavens above to your family," James posted in a series of tweets on Wednesday.
On Thursday, activist Shaun King shared an interview clip with Ahmaud's mother, Wanda, in which she said her son was a huge fan of James'.
"He liked sports. He loved LeBron James. He loved LeBron," Wanda says. "He loved Kobe. He loved football."
As seen in a cellphone video that was released earlier this week, Arbery was jogging through a neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia, in February when he was confronted by two men, one of whom shot him twice with a shotgun. Earlier this week, father and son Gregory McMichael, 64, and Travis McMichael, 34, were both charged with murder and aggravated assault in connection.
Arbery's death has raised racial tensions in Georgia and led to a wide range of celebrities speaking out to bring attention to it. The hashtag #IRunwithAhmaud has also been trending, with joggers on social media running 2.23 miles to honor Arbery.