Houston Texans star Justin James Watt plans to cover the costs of the funerals for the victims of Santa Fe High School mass shooting that happened on Friday.
10 people were killed and more than a dozen wounded during the shooting spree at Santa Fe High School in Texas on Friday.
JJ Watt support for their families comes only a few months after he raised over $37 million for Hurricane Harvey relief.
Right after it was spread on the news about the shooting, Watt wrote a two-word message on his Twitter account, ‘absolutely horrific’:
Absolutely horrific.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) May 18, 2018
Out of the public’s eye, Houston Texans star J. J. Watt reached out to the families of the victims and offered his help as they mourn the loss of their loved ones.
Watt’s outreach to members of the community was widely praised as yet another example of his admirable character:
‘Thank you, @JJWatt for going above and beyond for the families of Santa Fe, Texas. I love you.’ – tweeted Ellen DeGeneres.
‘There are some who feel as though JJ Watt is about JJ Watt and all his acts of kindness are part of his show, his act. Can you imagine carrying such a cynical view of the world? You don’t have the right to disbelieve kindness. JJ is a hero and the rightful face of Houston.’ – tweeted Marc Ryan.
‘Jj watt just announced he’ll pay for all of the funerals of victims in Santa Fe. Wow. God’s warrior.’ – tweeted Nick Russo.
‘Wow… regardless of whether @JJWatt plays another down of football in his life, the impact he has had beyond the gridiron has been unbelievable.’ – tweeted Daron K. Roberts.
‘I am literally in tears, @JJWatt announced that he will be paying for the funerals of the victims from today’s senseless acts at #Santafehighschool. In the midst of tragedy, something beautiful comes to light. You JJ, you sir, are a class act. Overwhelmed with emotions.’ – tweeted Dorian Valenzuela.
‘I don’t know a lot about football, but I know @JJWatt is a good man.’ – tweeted Rory O’Malley.
According to ESPN, Watt offered to pay for the funerals of all the victims. In a statement to ESPN, the Texans expressed their condolences to the victims, their families, and everyone who was affected by the High School shooting.
‘We are grateful for the brave first responders, law enforcement officials, and medical personnel,’ the statement said. ‘The Texans family will continue to pray for our neighbors.’
The 17-year-old student Dimitrios Pagourtzis opened fire at the high school in Santa Fe, allegedly targeting everyone who has wronged him including one 16-year-old girl who before that rejected advances from him.
Pagourtzis planned to kill his peers and then himself, the authorities said. Two teachers and eight students were killed that day.
