{"id":11739,"date":"2026-01-27T22:30:42","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T22:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/victor-wembanyama-on-minneapolis-shootings-murder-of-civilians-unacceptable\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T22:30:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T22:30:42","slug":"victor-wembanyama-on-minneapolis-shootings-murder-of-civilians-unacceptable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/victor-wembanyama-on-minneapolis-shootings-murder-of-civilians-unacceptable\/","title":{"rendered":"Victor Wembanyama on Minneapolis shootings: \u2018Murder of civilians\u2019 unacceptable"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Victor Wembanyama said on Tuesday that he was \u201chorrified\u201d by the recent violence in Minneapolis, where federal agents shot and killed a man during immigration crackdowns over the weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cPR has tried, but I\u2019m not going to sit here and give some politically correct (answer), you know?\u201d Wenbanyama said to reporters when asked about a statement the NBA Players Association issued after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti. \u201cEvery day, I wake up and see the news and I\u2019m horrified. I think that it\u2019s crazy that some people might make it seem or make it sound like it\u2019s acceptable, like the murder of civilians is acceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pretti\u2019s death on Saturday came less than three weeks after agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis shot and killed a woman, 37-year-old Renee Good. Both Pretti and Good were American citizens.<\/p>\n

Wembanyama, who was born and raised in France, said that seeing the news about the shootings has caused him to ask deeper questions about his own life, but he was hesitant to elaborate any further.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m conscious, also, that saying everything that\u2019s on my mind would have a cost that\u2019s too great for me right now,\u201d Wembanyama said. \u201cI\u2019d rather not get into too many details.\u201d<\/p>\n

The union issued its statement on Sunday, saying \u201cNBA players can no longer remain silent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow more than ever, we must defend the right to freedom of speech and stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota protesting and risking their lives to demand justice, the union said. \u201cThe fraternity of NBA players, like the United States itself, is a community enriched by its global citizens, and we refuse to let the flames of division threaten the civil liberties that are meant to protect us all.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Victor Wembanyama weighs in on Minneapolis. pic.twitter.com\/AgCuvlcc7M<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Don Harris (@DonHarris4) January 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Wembanyama has not been afraid to speak his mind on a variety of issues in the sporting world. When asked whether he fears repercussions for speaking out, he said he recognized that being from another country could make him vulnerable.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure. I mean, it\u2019s terrible. I know I\u2019m a foreigner. I live in this country, and I am concerned, for sure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Wembanyama is not the only French NBA player to have been vocal about the shootings in Minneapolis. New York Knicks big man Guerschon Yabusele posted to social media Monday that he could not stop thinking about the \u201ctragic events unfolding in Minnesota.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I\u2019m French, I can\u2019t remain silent,\u201d Yabusele posted on X. \u201cWhat\u2019s happening is beyond comprehension. We\u2019re talking about murders here, these are serious matters. The situation must change, the government must stop operating in this way. I stand with Minnesota.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked about his friend Yabusele\u2019s post, Wembanyama said he was proud of his French national teammate.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it definitely takes some balls,\u201d Wembanyama said. \u201cYou might have some price right now. Each and every one of us has to decide the price we are willing to pay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Athletes and coaches throughout the sports world have continued to react in the days following Pretti\u2019s killing. Federal agents have shot three people over the past three weeks as the Trump administration has escalated immigration enforcement in Minnesota: Good, a Venezuelan man who has not been identified, and Pretti.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, Pretti, a Veterans Affairs hospital nurse, was shot and killed while restrained by federal agents.<\/p>\n

Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton posted on X on Saturday, \u201cAlex Pretti was murdered.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Sunday, when asked for his thoughts on the NBPA\u2019s statement, Wembanyama\u2019s teammate, De\u2019Aaron Fox, gave a detailed example of why he felt an investigation was warranted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a stand your ground law here (in Texas), right?\u201d Fox said. \u201cI don\u2019t know how many of y\u2019all own guns. I own guns. We all know KJ (Keldon Johnson) owns guns, but imagine someone breaks into your house and you shoot \u2019em in the back, right? Probably neutralized. Then you\u2019re like, oh, f\u2014 it, let\u2019s empty the entire clip. Probably be charged. \u2026 So it\u2019s a bit crazy, right? I\u2019d be charged if I shot someone in the back, they fall, and then even if it\u2019s in my house, even if I\u2019m protecting my property and then I decide I want to empty the entire clip at him. That\u2019s where you get to excessive force and all these other things.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Trump administration has been critical of local government officials in Minnesota and those officials have voiced outrage over the immigration crackdowns and the actions of federal agents. On Monday, President Donald Trump posted on social media that he had \u201ca very good call\u201d with Tim Walz, Minnesota\u2019s Democratic governor, and that the two seemed \u201cto be on a similar wavelength.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n