[h=1]Dwyane Wade criticizes Chicago's 'weak gun laws,' says Donald Trump's tweets about his cousin's murder left him with a 'bad taste' in his mouth (VIDEO)[/h]NBA star Dwyane Wade has criticized Chicago's "weak gun laws" in wake of his cousin's shooting death, and says Donald Trump's tweets about the slaying left him with "a bad taste" in his mouth. In an
interview with ABC News that aired Friday, Wade also said his children are afraid of police officers the same way that he was when he was growing up.
"For our family, it was very tough," Wade said. "The headlines alone — mother walking down the street, registering her kids in school, a mother of four gets murdered — it's tough to deal with.
Wade's 32-year-old cousin Nykea Aldridge was one of 90 people murdered in August alone in Chicago. Wade, who played 13 years with the Miami Heat, signed with his hometown Bulls this offseason.
Chicago had more shootings, homicides than NYC and L.A. combined
"My purpose for being back in the city is bigger than basketball," he told ABC News. "Basketball is a big part of it, of course. It's what I do for a living. But I think my purpose at the end of the day is hopefully to come to Chicago and be a part and be the voice that can help bring people together.
Aldridge was pushing her baby in a stroller near a school where she'd planned to sign up her kids when she was shot. She wasn't the intended target, according to police.
Darwin Sorrells Jr., 26, and Derren Sorrells, 22, two brothers who were on parole, have been charged with first-degree murder.
Aldridge was pushing her baby in a stroller near a school where she'd planned to sign up her kids when she was shot. She wasn't the intended target, according to police.
The NBA star said fiercer gun laws will help the police, and continues to have partnerships with law enforcement. Wade will hold an event in Miami later this month to promote cycling safety and unity in the community — and police officers plan to join him on the six-mile bike ride.
Fear for sale: Trump paints safer cities as worse than war zones
"They are fighting a war," Wade said of Chicago police. "And they can do a lot better, but they can get more help as well to do better. There's other cities that have way tougher gun laws. We have weak gun laws."
Trump tweeted about Aldridge's murder a day after the shooting, first saying that such an incident will have black voters backing his campaign and later adding his condolences to Wade's family. He misspelled Wade's first name in one of the tweets.
"On one end your cousin's death is used as a ploy for political gain," Wade told ABC News. "On the other end, it's a national story. It goes back to that for me. I want eyes on this city. I want us to be able to do more together. The only way we can do more together is if more people know what's going on."