Coco Gauff writes "end gun violence" on camera after French Open semifinal win

Chris Cwik
·2-min read
Coco Gauff at the 2022 French Open.
Coco Gauff sent an important message after her semifinal win in the French Open. (Photo by Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

During the biggest moment of her young and promising career, Coco Gauff made a statement. Following her semifinal win in the French Open on Thursday, Gauff wrote "end gun violence" on a camera.

Gauff, 18, signed a sheet of plastic — or glass — in front of the camera. Her full message read, "Peace. End gun violence." Gauff followed that up with a heart and her signature.

Gauff's message comes 10 days after a gunman killed 19 children at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. It was the deadliest school shooting since the Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut in 2012.

A few weeks before the Uvalde shooting, 10 people were shot and killed in a supermarket in Buffalo. The gunman reportedly wrote an anti-Black slur on his rifle and released a manifesto that contained racist rhetoric. Thirteen people were shot by the gunman, 11 of those shot were Black.

President Joe Biden and other Democratic leaders in the United States have talked about "common sense" gun laws, though no legislation has materialized. The Senate delayed introducing gun legislation to take a recess over Memorial Day weekend.

Biden is expected to address the United States regarding gun laws Thursday.

Athletes speak out about gun violence in the United States

Gauff is the latest in a long list of athletes who have spoken out about gun violence in the United States. Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr delivered perhaps the most passionate speech on the topic, urging political leaders to do something about the large number of mass shootings in the United States.

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler wrote a lengthy post on his thoughts, saying he would skip the national anthem until he felt better about the direction of the country. Kapler paused that rule on Memorial Day, but plans to continue skipping the anthem before games.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James weighed in on the topic, saying, "There simply has to be change."

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