Entertainment

Justin Timberlake Visited A Santa Fe Shooting Survivor In The Hospital & It Was So Sweet

by Angela Chen
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images

They don't have to do it, but every time they do, it's a pleasant reminder that some celebrities are worthy of their good reputations. While he was in Houston for his Man of the Woods tour, the triple threat brightened up the day of one young woman who deserved it. Social media accounts show that Justin Timberlake surprised a Santa Fe shooting shooting survivor at a nearby hospital.

According to Billboard, Timberlake stopped by the hospital on Friday with a gift for Sarah Salazar. Billboard cites Salazar's mother's Facebook account, which shows a picture of the student and Timberlake beaming at the camera from Salazar's hospital bed. Salazar has a couple tubes running across her body, and Timberlake is covered in a yellow hospital gown with gloves on. The recovery process will likely be rough; according to Salazar's GoFundMe page, her "shoulder was shattered." The page, started by Salazar's aunt Norma Irlas, details the extent of Salazar's injuries: "Her mandible is fractured and she also has several rib fractures. She was shot from the neck down to her thigh. She is intubated and is recovering from the trauma to her neck vessels. After that, she will require several surgeries."

According to the GoFundMe page, Salazar is currently in the intensive care unit after having emergency surgery. A 17-year-old gunman, who is now looking at life in prison with the possibility of parole as his harshest possible sentence due to his age, is accused of opening fire and killing 10 people at the Houston-area high school on May 18. Salazar is among the 13 people who were injured, but survived.

Timberlake was in the Bayou City for a two-concert stop. According to local CBS affiliate KHOU, Timberlake took the time to pay tribute to the shooting victims during his concert at the Toyota Center Wednesday night. KHOU reports that he wore a "Santa Fe Strong" shirt for a portion of the concert and dedicated his song "Until The End Of Time" to the victims.

The singer was back again at the Toyota Center the next night with Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, a beloved Texas sports star and celebrity. Watt, who called the shootings "absolutely horrific," has offered to pay for the funerals of the shooting victims. The 29-year-old NFL player is known for stepping up, sometimes privately, during Houston's crises. During Hurricane Harvey, Watt raised more than $37 million for storm victims. On Thursday night, as the Houston Rockets took on (and beat) the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, Timberlake and Watt hung out courtside together.

According to Salazar's mother's Facebook account, both Watt and Timberlake have taken the time to visit her daughter. The mom also thanked a number of law enforcement officers and school officials for stopping by her daughter's hospital room.

Timberlake, of course, isn't the only celebrity to express his condolences. According to Billboard, during last weekend's Billboard Music Awards, Kelly Clarkson touched on the tragedy as she hosted the awards show. "Once again, ya'll, we're grieving for more kids who have died for no reason at all," said Clarkson. "I'm so sick of moments of silence... it's not working, obviously. Why don't we do a moment of action, a moment of change? We need to do better." A number of actors have tweeted out their thoughts as well, according to Variety.

On Friday, during his second concert in town, Timberlake posted a photo from the night's performance with the caption "Texas Strong," ending his Houston appearance with a solid show of solidarity.

It's worth noting that Timberlake has not posted a photo with Salazar anywhere on his social media accounts. The pop-star visited the Santa Fe High School student during his off-time and let the moment stay private for her, a move that shows why he's a favorite among the stars.