Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump tweeted Saturday about the fatal shooting of NBA star Dwyane Wade's cousin, in another apparent attempt to persuade black voters to back him in November.
"Dwyane Wade's cousin was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago," Trump tweeted. "Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!”
Nykea Aldridge, 32 was shot and killed Friday afternoon while pushing a baby in a stroller on Chicago's South Side. Chicago Police said Aldridge was shot in the head and arm by two men outside an elementary school. The shooters appeared to be targeting a third man, police also said.
The baby in the stroller wasn't hurt, and authorities said a relative has taken custody of the child.
Trump, who deleted his initial tweet after misspelling Wade's first name, was criticized on social media for not mentioning Aldridge in his message.
One person responded: "@realDonaldTrump Glad you're not making this about you. Whew!"
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"My condolences to Dwyane Wade and his family, on the loss of Nykea Aldridge," Trump tweeted later Saturday. "They are in my thoughts and prayers."
In recent days, Trump has aggressively tried to win over black voters, arguing that Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton and Democratic lawmakers who for decades have run major U.S. cities have neglected their African-American residents by being soft on crime while providing inadequate public schooling and few job opportunities.
Trump, who is running as a law-and-order candidate, said at a rally last week in suburban Detroit: "If Hillary Clinton's goal was to inflict pain to the African American community, she could not have done a better job.
"It is a disgrace. … Detroit tops the list of most dangerous cities in terms of violent crime. ... This is the legacy of the Democratic politicians who have run this city ... You live in your poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose?"
Earlier this week, Trump suggested Clinton is a “bigot” because her policies have failed to improve life in black communities.
Clinton responded during an interview Friday on MSNBC by claiming Trump has a “long history of racial discrimination" and that his campaign is "built on prejudice and paranoia."
Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Kaine also criticized Trump Saturday, claiming the real estate mogul's outreach to black voters was not "that serious."
Police said Saturday afternoon that two "people of interest" were being questioned by detectives but no one has been charged in the shooting. Authorities are investigating whether the encounter between the men was a robbery, possibly involving a driver from a ridesharing company, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.
Chicago has been plagued by gun violence for years, especially in a few South and West Side neighborhoods. This July alone, there were 65 homicides — the most that month since 2006.
Chicago had recorded 381 homicides by the end of July, up 30 percent from the same period of 2015. Its murder rate is higher than the more populous cities of New York and Los Angeles.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.