ABC News(NEW YORK) — Olympic great Simone Biles broke her silence on her brother being arrested for a triple murder last week in a post late Monday.
Biles did not specifically refer to her brother or the alleged crime, but said she was “still having a hard time processing last weeks (sic) news” in a post on Twitter.
She included a written message, apologizing to the family of the victims and asking for privacy.
“My heart aches for everyone involved, especially for the victims and their families,” Biles wrote. “There is nothing that I can say that will heal anyone’s pain, but I do want to express my sincere condolences to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy.”
“I ask everyone to please respect my family’s privacy as we deal with our pain,” she closed.
still having a hard time processing last weeks news pic.twitter.com/GU0nQt2PZY
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) September 3, 2019
Her older brother, Tevin Biles-Thomas, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter, felonious assault and perjury after three people were shot to death at a New Year’s Eve Airbnb party in Cleveland, authorities said. He was arrested on Aug. 29, eight months after the crime.
According to authorities, Biles-Thomas was part of a group of men who showed up to the party but got into a fight after being asked to leave. DeVaughn Jerard Gibson, 23, Delvante Johnson, 19, and Tashaun Banks, 21, died in the incident, according to charging documents.
The 24-year-old was arrested in Georgia and is being held without bond.
Simone Biles was raised separately from her brother as their birth mother dealt with drug and alcohol issues when they were young. Biles was raised by her grandfather and grandmother.
The 22-year-old just won her sixth U.S. national title in runaway fashion. She won four gold medals, including the all-around title, at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
She will be a heavy favorite next year in Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics.
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