International Afrobeats star Burna Boy has offered to pay for the funerals of the children killed during Saturday night’s mass shooting at a 2-year-old’s birthday party in north Stockton.
The shooting, which unfolded inside a crowded banquet hall on Lucile Avenue, left four people dead — three of them children — and 13 others wounded. Authorities have called the attack “targeted,” though investigators have not identified anyone who may have been singled out for harm.
No arrests have been announced.
Among the victims was 14-year-old Amari Peterson, a standout student-athlete from Modesto remembered by coaches and relatives as bright, disciplined and deeply loved.
Another victim, 21-year-old Susano Archuleta, was at the celebration with a friend, his aunt told CBS News.
The two youngest victims — both 8-year-old Stockton schoolgirls — were cousins of the child whose birthday was being celebrated, the 2-year-old’s mother said.
Maya Lupian was a third-grader at Aspire APEX Academy in Stockton. Her sister, Yesenia Lupian, called the child “the light in everyone’s life.”
Stockton Unified student Journey Rose Reotutar Guerrero was remembered by her cousin Joseph Guerrero, who said, “She would just bring smiles to your face … bring light to your day.”
Stockton Vice Mayor Jason Lee announced Burna Boy’s offer in a Facebook post. Lee — who survived being shot in Stockton and later lost his brother to gun violence — said the children’s deaths have “shaken (him) in a way that’s hard to put into words.”
He posted after Amari’s story was discussed on The Breakfast Club, a nationally syndicated hip-hop and culture radio show. The news caught the attention of music manager Wack 100, a prominent figure in the rap industry known for working with major artists like Ray J, Kanye West and 6ix9ine, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez.
Lee said that Wack 100 then connected him with Burna Boy, setting in motion the offer to support the grieving families.
“Burna didn’t know these families, but when he heard what happened, he stepped up with compassion and offered to cover the funeral costs for all the kids we lost,” Lee said, calling the gesture a meaningful relief for parents facing “the unimaginable.”
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