LA Galaxy thrashed Montreal by 4-0 on Tuesday in the ongoing Major League Soccer season. Midfielder Sacha Kljestan assisted the 4th goal in his team's victory and used the post match press conference to raise the issue of gun control laws in the US following the Illinois shooting incident.
On July 4, a 22-year-old suspect attacked an Independence Parade in Highland Park that killed six people and injured more than 20. The footballer talked in brief on the need to change the gun control laws in the US and 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 s***."
This was the 15th incident of mass killing in the US in 2022 and Sacha Kljestan asked the government to 'do something'. He said, "It’s a sick, vicious cycle that keeps happening over and over and we’re doing nothing about it, and it makes me sick. 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," Sacha Kljestan added.
LA Galaxy are currently on the 4th spot in the MLS 2022 western conference and will play the top ranked Los Angeles FC in their next fixture on July 9 at Banc of California Stadium.