More than $1 million in donations have poured in to support an 8-year-old boy in California who was paralyzed after he was struck by a stray bullet.
On July 14, 8-year-old Asa was sitting in a car in Oakland, California, when two other vehicles traveling eastbound began shooting at each other. According to the California Highway Patrol, 911 calls about the shooting said Asa’s car pulled over after it was struck by gunfire from one of the two vehicles. He was transported to the hospital in “grave condition.”
Police have not yet publicly identified any suspects in the shooting as of July 15, and are seeking the public’s help to identify them.
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Asa’s parents, identified in the GoFundMe as Melissa and Caesar, say they are using the fundraiser to help cover his hospital and ongoing care expenses. They said Asa has complete paralysis below the neck after the shooting and will require a mechanical respirator, tube feeds and 24-hour nursing care. In this first year, they estimated expenses could total over $1 million.
“We’re fiercely committed to doing everything we can to help Asa thrive which includes supporting his return to home life, school, and being the energetic, creative and high-spirited 8-year-old he is,” the GoFundMe reads.
As of Friday, more than 9,000 donations have fundraised well beyond the $500,000 goal, now reaching over $1 million. The family said any money over $1 million raised will be donated to local and national organizations working to prevent gun violence or supporting families impacted by it.
