Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, Viola Davis, and Michael B. Jordan were among the celebrities posting on social media about Daunte Wright, the 20-year-old black man who was fatally shot on Sunday in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.
The response came amid two nights of protests to the incident, in which police said an officer mistakenly fired a handgun in place of a Taser to subdue Wright in their attempt to arrest him over an outstanding warrant.
In bodycam footage officials released on Monday, an officer could be heard saying: ‘I’ll Tase you, I’ll Tase you, Taser, Taser, Taser!’ and then, ‘Holy s***, I just shot him!’ amid a struggle in Wright’s front seat.
The latest: Beyonce was among the celebrities posting on social media about Daunte Wright, the 20-year-old man who was fatally shot Sunday in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon described the firing as ‘an accidental discharge’ in the suburb of Minneapolis, where tensions were already high amid the trial of Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer charged in the May 2020 death of George Floyd.
Beyonce shared a picture of Wright on her website, writing, ‘Rest in peace Daunte Wright,’ while Davis and Jordan shared a shot of Wright with a link to more details.
Kim Kardashian was also among the celebs to post a link to information about the case; others included her mother, Kris Jenner, models Ashley Graham and Kaia Gerber and singer Halsey.
Demi Lovato, who had multiple posts condemning the incident, while others who took social media with commentary on the case included models Lori Harvey and Hailey Bieber; actresses Kate Hudson, Vanessa Hudgens, Kate Beckinsale, Sophia Bush and Riley Keough; and singer Ricky Martin, among others.
Kim Kardashian was one of a number of celebs to post this information about the case; others included her mother, Kris Jenner, models Ashley Graham and Kaia Gerber and singer Halsey
Oscar-winner Viola Davis shared a picture of Wright and link to more info on the case; Michael B. Jordan posted the same shot on his account
Outspoken: Demi Lovato shared multiple posts in reaction to the violent incident
Actress Jameela Jamil encouraged her social media followers to ‘please be thoughtful and sensitive about what you share regarding the #DaunteWright murder.
‘It is important to show support without triggering the hell out of the community you are tying to be supportive of. It is f***ing exhausting/harrowing for them to constantly see this s***.’
Actress Keke Palmer posted about her fears for her male relatives in the wake of the incident after her father opened up about his concerns about interacting with law enforcement.
‘My Dad and my brother mean the absolute world to me. It’s so unfair that this is the burden they and everyone that loves them carry,’ she wrote. ‘That any people of color have to walk around carrying this kind of fear and emotional weight. Goodnight. God be with us all.’
Singer Ricky Martin shared a solemn post that read ‘Say His Name Daunte Wright’
Moving: Actress Keke Palmer posted about her fears for her male relatives in the wake of the incident
Hailey Bieber posted in her ongoing support of Black Lives Matter
Vanessa Hudgens shared a shot of street art calling for justice in the case
Lori Harvey shared a picture of the late Wright with the message RIP
The outpouring from the entertainment community came as the officer who shot Wright was identified as Kimberly A. Potter, who has served the Brooklyn Center Police Department for 26 years, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Star Tribune was first to report.
Potter, 48, who is on the force’s negotiation team, has been placed on standard administrative leave amid a probe of the incident. She was one of the first officers to arrive at a fatal shooting in August 2019 in which a man named Kobe Dimock-Heisler was fatally shot by police who said he had charged at them with a knife, according to the paper.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office reported that Potter told the two officers involved in the incident to ‘exit the residence, get into separate squad cars, turn off their body worn cameras, and to not talk to each other’ in the wake of the shooting.
No charges were filed in the incident, and the action taken by police was determined to be in self-defense.
Kate Hudson reposted a tweet touching on the ongoing social movement against police brutality and racism
Actress Jameela Jamil encouraged her social media followers to ‘please be thoughtful and sensitive about what you share regarding the #DaunteWright murder’
