Tyler Perry plans to pay for Rayshard Brooks' funeral expenses, and also has reportedly offered to pay for Brooks' four children to go to college as well.
According to People, a source close to Perry said that he "spoke to Rayshard's family and wanted to do something to help. His heart goes out to the family during this tragic time."
Rayshard Brooks was a 27-year-old Black man who was shot three times by an Atlanta police officer in a Wendy's parking lot this past Friday. He later died when he arrived at the hospital. Brooks left behind his wife and four children: Dream, 1; Memory, 2; Blessing, 8; and Mekai, 13.
According to the Brooks' family attorney, Chris Stewart, Tyler Perry offered to cover funeral expenses for the family. "Lastly, we do want to thank Tyler Perry who we spoke with who will be taking care of the funeral for the family," Stewart said during a press conference on Monday. "Support like that, people who are actually in the community that love the community that want healing, and families like this should never have to go through something like this. It’s a step forward, and we want to thank him."
Perry has been known to donate money and use his resources to aid those in need. Most recently, he surprised older shoppers across 74 stores in Atlanta and New Orleans in April by covering all of their grocery bills.
Brooks' fatal shooting has sparked outrage across the country, and especially in the city of Atlanta.
"I’ve been doing this for 15 years, I don’t know what justice is anymore," Stewart said of the outrage felt in the city. "Is it getting them arrested? Is it getting somebody fired? Is it a chief stepping down? I know that this isn’t justice, what’s happening in society right now. We’re just tired. And if you don’t understand that because you may be a different color, you may be a different gender, you may not be from Georgia, then you may be the problem."
Protests have begun across Atlanta in the wake of Rayshard Brooks' death. On Saturday morning, peaceful demonstrations began in the city, with protestors eventually marching and shutting down the Interstate 75/85 downtown connector—a major highway through the city.
The Wendy's where Brooks was murdered was later set ablaze.
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