Nigerian afrobeats star and Grammy winner Burna Boy has extended a helping hand to the families of the victims who were tragically killed during mass shooting at a 2-year-old’s birthday party in Stockton, California.
Per the San Francisco Chronicle, Burna Boy, whose real name is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, will cover the funeral expenses of the four victims, whose ages range from 8 to 21.
The fatal incident occurred during a children’s birthday party at a banquet hall on Saturday, November 29. Police also said that 11 other people sustained injuries from the shooting.
“When I heard about the children murdered in Stockton, my heart broke,” Burna Boy said in a statement, per the Stockton Record. The Bundle By Bundle singer also said that he got to know about the fatal incident on The Breakfast Club radio show.
Burna Boy, 34, ultimately got in touch with Wack 100, who is a popular talent manager. Wack 100 subsequently arranged for Burna Boy to communicate with Stockton Vice Mayor Jason Lee.
“No family should ever face this kind of pain alone,” Burna Boy stated. “I wanted to do whatever I could to support these parents as they begin the long process of healing.”
In a statement, Lee expressed his gratitude to Burna Boy. “I want to thank Burna Boy for his support of families and children he has never met but still felt moved to help,” Lee said.
“Let his generosity serve as an example: so many people want to help but may not know how — and our community needs that support now more than ever.”
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The Last Last singer was said to be touched by the story of one of the deceased victims, identified as 14-year-old Amari Peterson, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. A GoFundMe set up to help raise funds for Peterson’s parents states that the deceased teen was a football and basketball player. The fundraiser also states that Peterson was “making plans and looking into colleges of choice.”
”He was NOT involved in any gang activity,” the fundraiser said. “The only mistake this sweet boy made was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was simply being a kid at a kids’ party.”
Authorities are yet to make an arrest in connection with the fatal mass shooting, but they said that the incident appeared to be targeted, NBC News reported. Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi also said that it was suspected that the shooting was gang-related. On Sunday, the sheriff of San Joaquin County, Patrick Withrow, however, said that it was too early to conclude if the shooting stemmed from gang violence. But he said they are “confident that this was not a random act.”
Burna Boy also covering the funeral costs of the deceased victims came after he received backlash for registering his displeasure with a couple who were seemingly sleeping while he was performing at one of his concerts on November 12.
In the aftermath of the incident, one of the individuals, in a social media post, explained that she was dealing with depression after her daughter’s father passed away.
