Yankees, Rays share gun violence facts on Twitter instead of game updates

The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays teamed up Thursday night to share gun violence facts on social media rather than game updates in the wake of the deadly mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

The Yankees said Thursday that in collaboration with the Rays, the team would be "using our channels to offer facts about the impacts of gun violence" rather than tweeting about their game. "The devastating events that have taken place in Uvalde, Buffalo, and countless other communities across our nation are tragedies that are intolerable," the Yankees said.

Both teams' Twitter accounts proceeded to share facts including that "every day, more than 110 Americans are killed with guns," that "firearms were the leading cause of death for American children and teens in 2020," and that "when an assault weapon is used in a mass shooting, it results in six times as many people shot than when other guns are used." Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, sparking an outpouring of grief and calls for action.

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"There are things that are bigger than baseball," Yankees vice president of communications Jason Zillo said.

The Tampa Bay Rays, which also made a $50,000 commitment to the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, wrote on its Twitter page, "This cannot become normal. We cannot become numb. We cannot look the other way. We all know, if nothing changes, nothing changes."