SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - San Francisco’s mayor called for an end to gun violence at a rally for a 6-year-old African American boy who was outside enjoying fireworks on the Fourth of July when he was struck and killed.
Police are asking for witnesses to help find who killed Jace Young, who died in a part of San Francisco that tourists rarely see, the historically Black neighborhood of Bayview-Hunters Point.
Mayor London Breed’s voice cracked as she spoke about the pain that thee child’s parents now face, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday.
“I want us to remember this. I want us to remember what this feels like,” said Breed, who is African American and grew up in public housing in San Francisco. “Never forget how this hurts. How this tears at our hearts and our souls.”
Young, a bright and loving child who loved computer games, was among several people killed in a spate of shootings across the country over the holiday weekend. The deaths come amid global protests against police violence and Breed said residents should be outraged any time someone dies as a result of violence.
“We are here because we want justice,” she said. “We are here because we need y’all to put down the guns.”
Police say the shooting did not appear to be random but that Young and a 39-year-old man who was wounded were not the targets.
Young’s father, Jason Young, joined Breed, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott and Supervisor Shamann Walton, who represents the neighborhood, at a rally Tuesday to ask for information.
He said one part of the city is for cable car riders and people living without fear while the other side can be a “death penalty” for young Black people. “Justice for Jace!” Young yelled.
Walton, who also grew up in San Francisco, issued a joint statement with Breed Monday, saying they both saw too many people killed by gun violence. They said supporting Black lives means making sure Black children have the chance to grow up and thrive.
“If one message resonates, it should be the message of: stop killing each other,” Walton said. “Of ending gun violence right here and right now.”
The child’s killing came less than 24 hours before another shooting Sunday in the neighborhood.
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