Rob Valentino Assistant Coach | Atlanta United FC Website
Rob Valentino Assistant Coach | Atlanta United FC Website
At the club's home match on September 14 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta United honored Apalachee High School, the site of a deadly mass shooting earlier this month. The stadium held a moment of silence for the victims prior to kickoff between Atlanta United and Nashville SC. Players wore black armbands with the Apalachee logo on them, and a sign that read "Love Will Prevail" featuring the Apalachee "A" hung from the Gulch.
Four people were killed and nine others hospitalized in the shooting that occurred on September 4. The high school is located in Winder, Georgia, roughly one hour northeast of downtown Atlanta.
Atlanta sports teams have come together to show support for the Apalachee community in response to the tragedy. A week after the shooting, the Atlanta Falcons hosted the Apalachee High School football team at their training complex in Flowery Branch. The Falcons also wore T-shirts that said Apalachee Wildcats during warmups for their season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 8 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.