Burna Boy is stepping in to cover the funeral costs for the victims of a tragic mass shooting in Stockton, California, a gesture aimed at easing the burden for grieving families.

The shooting happened on the evening of 29 November at a children’s birthday party held at a banquet hall in north Stockton. Authorities say a gunman opened fire inside the venue, where around 100 to 150 people had gathered. Four people, including three children aged 8, 9 and 14, and a 21 year old adult, were killed. Eleven others were wounded.

Once news of the tragedy made headlines, Grammy winning singer Burna Boy pledged to pay for all four funerals. He said:

“When I heard about the children murdered in Stockton, my heart broke,” he said. “No family should ever face this kind of pain alone.”

He explained that he reached out to industry contact Wack 100, who connected him with local officials to coordinate support for the bereaved families.

Jason Lee, the vice mayor of Stockton, praised the act as a sign that “people around the world want to help, even when they’ve never met the families impacted.” He added that the support would lift some of the burdens from the parents during an unimaginably painful time.

As the community mourns, the victims, children and a young adult, are being remembered by loved ones. Investigations into the shooting are ongoing and local authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward. The shooter remains on the run, and although police are searching for an unidentified individual, investigators have said there may have been multiple shooters.

Burna Boy’s gesture, although unable to reverse the tragedy, offers a small measure of relief and solidarity to the families navigating grief. It also underscores the devastating human impact of gun violence as the search for those responsible continues.