Burna Boy to Cover Funeral Costs for Children Killed in Stockton Birthday Party Mass Shooting

Burna Boy is stepping up to pay for the funerals of four individuals slain in a Stockton, Calif., mass shooting on Saturday (Nov. 29). The afrobeats star pledged to cover the costs of the funerals after learning about the heartbreaking shooting at a children’s birthday party in North Stockton.

“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,” Burna Boy said in a press statement. “I wanted to do whatever I could to support these parents as they begin the long process of healing.”

Burna was also particularly moved by the story of Amari Peterson, a 14-year-old academic and athletic standout, who was tragically murdered. “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,” Stockton Vice Mayor and Hollywood Unlocked founder Jason Lee said.

At a vigil for victims over the weekend, Lee added, “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.”

According to NBC News, the shooter remains on the run. Law enforcement is searching for an unidentified individual, but there may have been multiple shooters.

At least 100 people gathered at a banquet hall in North Stockton for a children’s birthday party on Saturday when gunfire erupted around 6 p.m. PT. Eleven people were wounded and subsequently hospitalized. Outside of 14-year-old Peterson, the ages of the victims were eight, nine and 21.

Burna Boy is doing plenty of giving back this holiday season. The Grammy-winning artist stopped by the Boston Arts Academy earlier this week, where he committed to sponsoring the school’s Free Bodega program to support students’ needs on a day-to-day basis.