A 1-year-old boy was killed during a rolling gun battle on a California freeway. A year later, 3 people have been charged.
A Northern California toddler fatally struck by a stray bullet while sleeping in his car seat last year was the victim of a rolling gun battle between rival gangs on a freeway, prosecutors said Thursday as they announced charges against three people.
The 1-year-old boy, Jasper Wu, was killed Nov. 6, 2021, on Interstate 880 in Oakland when his mother's car got caught in the crossfire. He was just weeks away from turning 2 years old.
"The bullet was lodged in the seat behind little Jasper's car seat," District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said during a news conference Thursday.
The Alameda County District Attorney's Office filed murder charges Thursday against Trevor Green, Ivory Bivins and Johnny Jackson. A fourth suspect, Keison Lee, was killed in a separate shooting last month.
The defendants are part of the rival Chopper City and Eddy Rock gangs out of San Francisco, O'Malley said.
"This horrific tragedy is a parent's worst nightmare: An innocent child struck by gunfire while riding in the car," O'Malley said. "Our community mourns with the Wu family. My office will work tirelessly to bring these culprits to justice for the Wu family and for our community."
Green and Bivins, who are allegedly members of the Chopper City gang, were driving in an Infiniti along the freeway, while Jackson and Lee, alleged members of the Eddy Rock gang, were in a Nissan Altima, prosecutors said.
A shot fired from the Infiniti missed the Altima, prosecutors said, and instead went through the windshield of the Wu family's car. The bullet was found lodged in the seat behind Jasper's car seat, O'Malley said.
Green and Bivins are in custody on other charges in Contra Costa County and will be transferred to Alameda County for this case. Jackson was arrested Wednesday on a warrant and will be arraigned Friday.
It was not immediately clear whether the suspects had attorneys who could speak on their behalf.
Carl Chan, a community advocate, was at the news conference to translate for the Wu family, CBS Bay Area reported.
"They were very happy and excited about this press conference to talk about their case but, at the same time, they feel that they are bringing back the memory of day one of what happened on the freeway," Chan said. "The one wish that they have: they wish that no family — no one — will go through what they have gone through."