News

Trump Tweets Condolences for Death of Dwyane Wade's Cousin

The Republican presidential candidate's initial response to the shooting death of the NBA star's cousin was to say that African Americans will vote for him.

Published Aug. 27, 2016

 (Instagram)
Image Via Instagram

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump sent mixed messages after learning of the accidental shooting death of NBA star Dwyane Wade's cousin, Nykea Aldridge, who was hit by a stray bullet during an apparent shootout between two men in Chicago's Parkway Gardens neighborhood. Aldridge, who is survived by four children, was pushing her newborn baby in a carriage at the time.

The fatal shooting was met by an outpouring of grief and sympathy for Wade and his family, including the Chicago Bulls basketball team, which stated, "The entire Chicago Bulls organization is deeply saddened by the news of Dwyane Wade’s cousin, Nykea Aldridge. We send our deepest condolences to the entire Wade family during this difficult time."

Donald Trump acknowledged the tragic event in two separate tweets, the first of which was an apparent attempt to link Aldridge's death to Trump's political aims:

To which the Twitterverse responded with rapid condemnation, including a series of outraged tweets from actor Don Cheadle:

Silicon Valley entrepreneur Sahil Lavingia threw Trump's words about Hillary Clinton back in his own face:

Having apparently thought better of it, roughly an hour-and-a-half after his initial tweet, Trump posted condolences:

The shooting death of Nykea Aldridge is under investigation by the Chicago police, who told reporters that they have questioned two people, but no charges have yet been filed.

Sources

Corasaniti, Nick.  "Donald Trump Links Death of Dwyane Wade's Cousin to His Campaign for Black Support."    The New York Times.  27 August 2016.

Hayden, Michael and Caplan, David.  "Dwyane Wade's Cousin Fatally Shot Pushing Baby Stroller in Chicago."    ABC News.  27 August 2016.

David Emery is a West Coast-based writer and editor with 25 years of experience fact-checking rumors, hoaxes, and contemporary legends.