NBA star will pay for funerals, grief counseling in Belgrade mass shooting

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic said he will pay for the funerals and grief counseling services of the classmates, families and school staff after a mass shooting in a Serbia school left eight children and a school guard dead.

A spokesperson for the Luka Doncic Foundation told ESPN that Doncic reached out to make a commitment to offer short-term aid for the victims of the shooting and plans to make a longer-term commitment. ESPN noted the NBA guard, whose father was born in Serbia, has family living near Belgrade, including his grandmother, aunt, uncle, and a cousin.

“I am heartbroken by the tragic school shooting in Serbia and the loss of lives, including those of innocent children,” Doncic said in a statement on Twitter. “My thoughts are with the families and the entire community affected by this tragedy.”

“Belgrade, I support and stand with you all during this difficult time,” he added. “Through @LD77Foundation I am exploring both immediate and long-term ways to support the students, faculty, and families affected by the shooting at the Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School.”

More from The Hill: Teen kills 8 children and school guard, police in Serbia say

A teenager who attended the Vladislav Ribnikar school in Belgrade, Serbia, used his father’s gun to carry out the mass shooting in a classroom Wednesday morning. Nine people, including 8 children, were killed, while another seven people were hospitalized as a result.

Serbian students mourned the victims of the shooting on Thursday, and mass shootings in the region have been rare despite a high percentage of gun ownership in the area.

The shooting has also prompted calls for stricter gun control policies in the region. Police have also been asking parents to lock up their guns away from their children, as the Associated Press reported.