A Miami Dolphins player is devastated by the mass school shooting that happened in his own backyard ... and he's calling for change.
Andre Branch gave TMZ Sports his take on the tragedy the morning after 17 high school students and teachers were gunned down in Parkland, Florida -- less than 30 miles from his home in Ft. Lauderdale -- and he essentially echoed Warriors coach Steve Kerr in calling for stricter gun laws.
"We live in a sick world," Branch said. "There's no reason that an individual, a child, should walk into a high school and be able to shoot up his peers and teachers."
Steve Kerr’s powerful message on the shooting massacre in Florida. pic.twitter.com/Lo4k66JG4G
FYI, Kerr went off after the shooting on Wednesday, saying -- "It doesn’t seem to matter to our government that children are being shot to death, day after day in schools ... it's disgusting."
Andre added -- "We gotta do better as a country and just as people ... and continue to support one another."