Former NBA legend, Shaquille O'Neal, reached out to the family of the Georgia teen who accidentally took his life while live streaming on Instagram. The hardcourt superstar offered to pay for the 13-year-old's funeral services.
O'Neal is not new to philanthropic causes, and when he knew about Malachi Hemphill's heartbreaking death, the star thought the family could be needing a hand. According to TMZ, O'Neal personally visited the Hemphill home to offer help for the bereaved family.
"No mother should have to go through this," O'Neal said in a statement, as reported by The Atlanta Journal Constitution. "I can only imagine the pain that she and all of Malachi's family must be feeling. I just wanted to do what I could to help them at such a terrible time."
Grandmother of the 13-year-old told the three-time MVP that Hemphill did not have insurance. She added that O'Neal's deed for their entire community was deeply appreciated and that to help them was a very touching "blessing."
I’m giving away my autographed size 22 shoe FREE thanks to @steinersports! Details here: https://t.co/1MePc8qsZZ pic.twitter.com/TlfedacYEM
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) January 18, 2017
The death of the teen was previously reported by Parent Herald. According to the report, Hemphill was just showing off a gun in his social media app. Reports said that Hemphill was asked why the gun did not have a clip.
As he tried to install one, the gun accidentally went off. The teen sustained a gunshot on his head and he was critical on his way to the hospital. However, Hemphill eventually died as he arrived the medical facility Monday.
The sister and the mother of the teen were in the house during the accident. Reports further said that the pair heard the gunshot and rushed to the teenage boy's room. Hemphill's mom then saw a pool of blood, and his sister realized that his phone was still on livestream.
Around 40 of the teen's friends went to check on Hemphill after the incident. The teen's possession of a gun was being investigated by the authorities.
