John Legend, Zendaya and more stars took to social media to voice their outrage at the shooting of Philando Castile by a Falcon Heights, Minnesota, police officer on Wednesday, July 6.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Castile, 32, and his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, were pulled over by a police officer around 9 p.m. for a traffic stop. At some point during their exchange, Castile was shot multiple times as he sat in the driver’s seat. His girlfriend filmed the aftermath in a shared Facebook Live video, during which she was handcuffed by other officers. Castile was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center and later died.
“[The officer] asked him for license and registration. He told him that it was in his wallet, but he had a pistol on him because he’s licensed to carry,” Reynolds said in the video. “The officer said, ‘Don’t move.’ As he was putting his hands back up, the officer shot him in the arm four or five times.”
In the video, the police officer can be heard in the background speaking to the woman. “I told him not to reach for it,” he said. “I told him to get his hand out.”
“Oh my God, please don’t tell me he’s dead,” Reynolds cried in the graphic video. “Please don’t tell me my boyfriend just went like that.”
In the wake of Castile’s death, celebs have shared their indignation over the senseless act of violence.
Zendaya:
John Legend:
Let’s go NRA. I know y’all are for the 2nd amendment. Are you also for equal protection? https://t.co/PaKMcZ7ina
— John Legend (@johnlegend) July 7, 2016
Meagan Good:
He died .. His name is Philando Castile, he was 32 #FalconHeights shooting .. Two hours ago. https://t.co/nCg2IDYNRR
— Meagan Good (@MeaganGood) July 7, 2016
Josh Groban:
There are so many broken, backwards issues at play here it’s numbing to digest. #PhilandoCastile #AltonSterling #blacklivesmatter
— josh groban (@joshgroban) July 7, 2016
Ne-Yo:
Another day, another hashtag. You didn’t deserve this, brother. You didn’t deserve this. #PhilandoCastile
— NE-YO (@NeYoCompound) July 7, 2016
Danielle Brooks:
How is it before I lay down to sleep it happens again. #FalconHeights I HAVE NO WORDS.
— Danielle Brooks (@thedanieb) July 7, 2016
Porsha Williams:
Diggy Simmons:
Wow…… Back to back just like that. #PhilandoCastile.. RIP big bruh
— Diggy (@diggy_simmons) July 7, 2016
Grace Gealey:
So many excuses: “she should have…” “he shouldn’t have..”. #PhilandoCastile did everything right. Still dead. Now what? #FalconHeights
— Grace Byers (@LadyGraceByers) July 7, 2016
Castile’s death comes just one day after a black man named Alton Sterling was shot and killed by Baton Rouge, Louisiana, police on Tuesday. The Associated Press reports that authorities were responding to a 911 call when they shot Sterling, 37, who was selling homemade CDs and DVDs outside a store.
