Khalid is busy preparing a benefit concert for families who’ve been affected by the recent tragedy in El Paso.
The artist took to Twitter to announce that the benefit show is being planned and will take place later this month. Khalid was born in Georgia and moved frequently during his youth, as his parents were members of the military. He ultimately spent his senior year of high school in El Paso, where he attended Americas High School.
He now considers El Paso to be his hometown.
“Hearing/seeing an act of terrorism happen so close to home, my family, and my friends has been unbelievable and shocking,” Khalid tweeted. “Singing ‘915′ and ‘city of El Paso’ on tour every night feels indescribable.”
The details on the benefit concert are still coming together, though Khalid loosely scheduled something within the next 2-3 weeks. All proceeds from the show will go to victims of the shooting and their families.
By now, we all know the tragic sequence of events.
On August 3rd, 21-year-old Patrick Crusius shot and killed 20 individuals inside a Walmart in El Paso. Additionally, 26 others were wounded in the attack, which police are investigating as a hate crime.
It’s expected that additional details will be revealed in the coming weeks, as police and federal agencies continue interviewing Crusius and those who had met him prior to the shooting. Crusius was taken into custody at the scene of the crime.
Blink-182 was in El Paso at the time of the shooting, and their August 4th concert was postponed “in solidarity with the community.” At the time of writing, Blink-182 hasn’t set a date to make the concert up, but it would hardly be a bad idea for them and Lil Wayne (who is co-touring with Blink-182) to join Khalid in holding a benefit for the shooting’s victims.
Khalid, who is just 21 years of age, has already achieved considerable success and a large fan base. His debut single, “Location,” was quickly followed by multiple chart-topping hits and two studio albums, including 2019’s Free Spirit.
Free Spirit quickly took off, and Khalid began the Free Spirit World Tour on May 18th. The 63-stop tour will bring Khalid to all corners of the United States and much of Europe, with El Paso requiring some rerouting and possibly rearranged dates at other cities.