Atlanta rapper 21 Savage said he does not condone the violence that caused chaos at a community event he attended Saturday in southeast Atlanta, Channel 2 Action News reported.
A 23-year-old man was shot in the leg after someone fired rounds into a crowd at Zone 6 Day at Coan Park on Woodbine Drive. 21 Savage was the headliner at the event, which was billed as a free day of fun for families.
The event’s permit was for 200 people, but the crowd grew to thousands as word got out. When the gunshots rang out about 8 p.m., many scrambled to leave, causing a traffic logjam and injuring some in the commotion.
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At another event sponsored by his foundation Sunday, the rapper, whose legal name is Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, told Channel 2 the shooting shouldn’t overshadow what should have been a day for community building.
“That ain’t right,” he said. “People need to think about their actions. We’re coming together to push positivity, to get all the negative stuff away. We’re trying to show the kids that grown people can come together and do something positive.”
21 Savage’s third annual event on Sunday provided backpacks, school supplies and free haircuts to hundreds of children in the Decatur neighborhood where the music star grew up.
“It makes me feel good just to know that I’m touching people,” he told the news station.
Atlanta police have charged Santonio Foster in the shooting at Coan Park on Saturday, Channel 2 reported. He is facing charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Police believe Foster knew the victim, who was in stable condition Saturday, according to the news station.
