John Legend performed a surprise concert in Dayton, Ohio this weekend in honor of the victims of the shooting there. Legend shared photos from his set-up on Instagram on Sunday night, and documented some of his time there on his Instagram Story. Legend also tried to raise funds and awareness for the city.
Dayton is still mourning for those lost in the shooting there last weekend. In the early hours of the morning on Sunday, Aug. 4, a young attacker with an assault-style rifle opened fire on the Ned Peppers Bar, situated right in the busy downtown area of town. A week later, Legend visited the city with an impromptu concert for the city.
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“I just played a few songs to try to help bring comfort to some of the survivors of last week’s tragedy in Dayton,” Legend wrote on Instagram. “My heart breaks for everyone who lost someone. I love how everyone rallies around one another during their time of grief. But our nation should not keep putting ourselves through these preventable traumas. Let’s fix it together.”
On his Instagram Story, Legend included an Action Button link, leading his followers to information on how to donate, volunteer or contact Congress to call for gun law reform. Legend apparently made a donation himself, according to local retailer Heart Mercantile. The shop sells a whole line of Dayton-related products, such as “Dayton Strong” shirts, mugs and other household items. The proceeds go to the Dayton Foundation, which is giving funds to the victims and families of victims.
“Thank you [John Legend] and [Chrissy Teigen] for generously donating to help our city,” the store’s post read.
Legend and his wife, Teigen have been very outspoken in their calls for gun law reform, and Legend feels that President Donald Trump has a particular responsibility to take immediate action on the issue. The couples are strongly opposed to the president, as Legend made clear in an impromptu TMZ interview earlier this month.
“Our president is a flaming racist. He’s a piece of s—. He says piece of shit, s— all the time. That’s what he does,” said Legend. “We need to get him out of office.”
The president was exploring the possibility of an executive order on gun reform earlier this month, according to a report by Politico. So far nothing has come of it. As always, the nation is deeply divided over gun laws.
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