At a later point , Childish Gambino uses a Kalashnikov patterned automatic weapon to gun down a church choir , which viewers have interpreted as a reference to the 2015 Charleston church shooting . In both instances , a child appears from off-screen holding a red cloth , on which Gambino gently lays the weapon used , while the bodies are simply dragged away , which viewers have interpreted " as a reference to Americans ' willingness to protect gun rights over people " . Scenes also involved children using their cell phones to record the chaos happening in the video , while Gambino sings the lyrics " This a celly / That 's a tool " . Martha Tesema , writer for website Mashable , stated that " cell phones have been used as tools to broadcast police shooting , rioting against , or choking black people in this country " . Throughout the video , numerous vehicles from several decades ago are featured , many of them with their hazard lights flashing and the driver 's side door ajar , which critics interpreted as representing fatal police shootings during traffic stops , particularly the shooting of Philando Castile , who was shot while in a 1997 Oldsmobile ; others have interpreted that the older model cars represent the relative lack of upward mobility of African Americans . American singer SZA makes a cameo appearance towards the end of the video , seated atop one of these vehicles . The video ends with Gambino in a darkened portion of the warehouse , fearfully running towards the camera while being chased by several white people . Viewers have said this resembles scenes from the 2017 film '' Get Out ''
Charleston church shooting
Charleston church shooting
This Is America (song)