LA Galaxy midfielder Sacha Kljestan made an emotional plea for gun control in an emotional press conference following the mass shooting in Illinois.
Kljestan's passionate appeal comes after the latest shooting to hit the US, where six people were killed in an attack on an Independence Parade in Highland Park.
Kljestan, who played 13 minutes of his side's victory over CF Montreal, used his media duties to plead for new gun laws amid the 15th mass killing in the country in 2022.
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The 36-year-old midfielder said: "I’m actually going to keep this really brief and not answer any questions about the game. I’m not joking.
"I’m sick to my stomach at what’s happened in Illinois today and I think we need to talk about gun control. You guys can write about the game if you want but I don’t really give a sh*t.
"It’s a sick, vicious cycle that keeps happening over and over and we’re doing nothing about it, and it makes me sick."
He added: "Congress, senators, if anyone sees this – do something. Our kids get shot up, we say ‘thoughts and prayers’ and it does nothing. We talk about it on social media and it does nothing. And then our government does nothing and then someone gets shot up again.
"It’s sick, it p****s me off and I cannot think about anything else but that.
"I’m not a politician but I’m a human being and my kids, I fear for them when they go to school and it pisses me off. If it doesn’t piss you off, if you don’t want new gun laws in this country then there’s something wrong with you."
It's not the first time a high-profile American sports personality has come out in support of gun control.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr gave a moving speech following the Texas primary school shooting, where 19 children were tragically killed.
Topics: Football, Major League Soccer
Nasir Jabbar