Burna Boy is stepping in to cover the funeral costs for all four children killed in the recent Stockton, California mass shooting.
“When I heard about the children murdered in Stockton, my heart broke. After hearing the story on The Breakfast Club, I reached out to Wack 100 and connected with Jason Lee because no family should ever face this kind of pain alone,” he said in a press statement. “I wanted to do whatever I could to support these parents as they begin the long process of healing.”
The statement also said the 34-year-old star was particularly moved by the story of Amari Peterson, a 14-year-old, 3.8 GPA student-athlete whose life was tragically cut short.
Stockton Vice Mayor Jason Lee, who has been meeting privately with the families, noted in a statement that "Burna Boy's generosity is an example of how people around the world want to help, even when they've never met the families impacted."
This development comes as Lee continues urging the suspects to surrender.
At a vigil held on Sunday (Nov. 30), the Hollywood Unlocked founder said, "It's never been gangsta to kill kids. Never. You went in a birthday party and shot people's children ... Parents brought their children out and they left with medical examiners. That is not human."
Drawing on the loss of his own brother, Rodney Townsend, who died at age 27 in a Stockton shooting in 1997, Lee also addressed anyone considering retaliation.
"When my brother got murdered, I thought about it too. It's human to want to hurt people who hurt people you love,” Lee recalled. “But I had a choice to make and I hope that the people out there in our community make the right choice and contact law enforcement, call me, call the mayor, call whoever you know, call the pastors, call your friend, turn yourself in."
The shooting occurred on Saturday (Nov. 29) inside a crowded banquet hall in northern Stockton just before 6 p.m., where 100 to 150 people were attending a children's birthday party. Four young people were killed and 11 others were left wounded.
In addition to Peterson, the victims who have been identified so far are eight-year-old Maya Lupian and 21-year-old Susano Archuleta.
According to CNN, Heather Brent, a spokesperson for the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office, said that early indications suggest the shooting may have been “a targeted incident." She added that the investigation remained "very active and ongoing."
Sheriff Patrick Withrow said on Sunday, "We're confident that this was not a random act. We're not gonna say whether it's gang related or not, until we have all the facts in front of us."
Per NBC News, a $25,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest.