Florida

Actor Josh Gad Says His Friend's Son Died in Parkland Massacre

"I think all of us know in our hearts something is terribly wrong with the weekly rate of these incidents."

Actor and Florida native Josh Gad was personally affected by the Parkland high school shooting, he said on Twitter, having learned that a friend's son was one of the 17 people who died.

The "Frozen" and "Beauty and the Beast" star grew up close to Parkland, Florida, and said Wednesday that he was "so angry" after learning the boy was hit in the chest by gunfire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

The next morning, Gad tweeted that the boy, whom he didn't name, had passed away, and vowed to support everyone who runs against NRA-backed politicians and be "a voice of reason" in demanding action to stop gun violence.

"I have walked the halls of Stoneman Douglass. I directly know a person trying to pick up the shattered pieces of his life now. I call this community my own," Gad said. "I think all of us know in our hearts something is terribly wrong with the weekly rate of these incidents."

It's not the first time Gad has spoken out about violence in South Florida. When threats were being called into Jewish community centers across the country, including a Jewish day school near Gad's childhood home, the actor tweeted, "Not sure how this has become the new normal. Disgraceful."

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