Shaquille O’Neal’s generous heart just got a lot more giving after the former NBA star turned DJ revealed that he would be donating the proceeds from his upcoming DJ set to the families of the victims of the May Tops Friendly Markets shooting in Buffalo, New York, that claimed the lives of 10 Black people and injured three others.
The 50-year-old retired ballplayer, also known as DJ Diesel when he’s providing the tunes for parties and events, revealed at the recent Governor’s Ball Music Festival that occurred over the June 10 to 12 weekend that the profits he would be making from performing at his upcoming Shaq’s Bass All Stars in Buffalo Riverworks would not come to him.
Instead, Diesel told SiriusXM’s “Culture Trap” host Swaggy Sie, “I’m going to donate my proceeds to some of the family members that had a tragic loss.”
The sports commentator has made a reputation for helping those who could use a hand. Just last week, the Hollywood star left a hefty $2,500 tip for unsuspecting employees of a New York City restaurant.
The four-time NBA Championship winner opened up about what drives his philanthropic efforts, noting that “I don’t usually plan, I just see something, and then I’ll just, if I see where there’s a need, I just take care of it.”
As reported by Atlanta Black Star, on May 14, self-proclaimed white supremacist Payton Gendron shot 13 people with an assault rifle at Tops Friendly Markets in a primarily Black neighborhood. In an apology letter to his parents obtained by federal investigators, the 18-year-old said he had to carry out the massacre “for the future of the white race.”
A federal complaint also alleged that the man’s motive for the attack “was to prevent Black people from replacing white people and eliminating the white race and to inspire others to commit similar attacks.”
News of Shaq’s donation comes days after the U.S. filed federal hate crime charges against the accused Gendron. He faces 26 counts, including 10 counts of a hate crime resulting in death. He could be facing the death penalty. The suspect has since pleaded not guilty.
