Pharrell Williams took to social media to call for “transparency, honesty, and justice” after revealing that his cousin was killed in a separate Virginia Beach shooting.
In an Instagram post Pharrell described his cousin Donovan as a “bright light.”
“It is critical my family and other victims’ families get the transparency, honesty, and justice they deserve,” he wrote and shared a photo of his cousin. “Virginia Beach is the epitome of hope and tenacity and, as a community, we will get through this and come out even stronger.”
A few industry friends and collaborators sent their condolences in the comment section including The Weeknd, Swizz Beatz, and Kenya Barris.
Donovan Lynch, 25, was gunned down by Virginia Beach police and they released a statement saying that the department interviewed the police involved, an officer who witnessed, and an “independent witness.”
In the statement, Virginia Beach police claimed Lynch was “brandishing a handgun at the time of the shooting.”
The shootings in Virginia Beach marks the second time Pharrell was prompted to speak out on senseless acts of violence in 2021. He was one of the many figures calling for the end of Asian hate.
“Enough is enough,” the producer wrote after the attack at the Atlanta spa that left six Asian women and two others dead. “Last night was another instance of innocent lives lost to domestic terrorism. We must protect our Asian brothers and sisters.”
