Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo, who was born in South Korea but grew up in the United States, said Wednesday he is "deeply saddened" by the Atlanta-area shootings on Tuesday that left eight people dead, most of them women of Asian descent, while also calling attention to the rise in hate crimes against all races in recent years.
In doing so, he also cited some of his own experiences with racism.
"I am deeply saddened by the events that took place in Atlanta yesterday and although there is no definitive answer yet on what this investigation will bring, I feel now is the time to address the rise in hate crimes against ALL races over the last few years," Koo wrote in a statement posted to Instagram.